Anina leverages upcycled fresh produce in “meals in a pod” concept

23 Sep 2022 --- Food-tech start-up Anina Culinary Art is launching a new way to combat food waste and supply nutrient-rich meals to consumers. The company uses “ugly” vegetables and turns them into ready-to-make meals, tapping into the growing trend of rescuing ingredients that would otherwise be thrown away and transforming them into NPD

Anina creates “meals-in-a-pod” called Anina pods, which are convenience meals made from rejected vegetables from mainstream stores due to their “less-than-perfect appearance.”

“Anina is making a real impact on the food industry by mitigating food waste and turning it into innovative, plant-based products,” says Anat Natan, ANINA’s co-founder and CEO. 

The product
Anina pods are made from patented technology with a food-grade lamination process to create a layer of dried fruits or vegetables that form an outer shell container. Inside the shell is a range of ingredients depending on the recipe. 

Anina buys thrown-away food and turns it into ready-to-eat meals. “ANINA is responding to a growing demand for making the most of unwanted veggies and turning them into something artistic that appeals to the eye and palette,” adds Natan. 

Each container has two cups of vegetables, making up 40% of an adult’s daily nutritional requirements. The meals cook in a few minutes and provide convenient nutrition. 

The company offers three meal options: pasta primavera, Mediterranean bowl and Vietnamese bowl. Anina claims the product “provides a plant-based meal replete with protein, high in fiber, and free from colorants or preservatives.” 

Upcycling trend to combat food waste
According to the company, half of the produce in the US is thrown away because it is less than “picture perfect” for selling, which causes 60 million metric tons of fruits and vegetables to be discarded every year.

Often, food losses mean lesser income for farmers and higher prices for consumers. However, Anina is on the path of reusing visually unappealing produce and reducing food waste. 

“We buy leftover produce directly from farmers. This provides them income for vegetables they usually have to discard,” says Natan. 

This trend of companies taking food that would have otherwise become waste and repurposing it is expected to grow. Innova Market Insights named “Upcycling Redefined” one of its Top Ten Trends for 2022. 

According to an Innova Market Insights survey, half of the consumers who lose money have minimized food waste – 50% for predominantly worse finances and 53% for slightly worse. These numbers are compared to 47% that minimized food waste with unchanged finances, and 37% whose finances improved in the last 12 months.

A previous innovation to reduce food waste came from scientists in Singapore who developed a technique to cultivate a fungi-based food product that grows in nutrient-rich food waste.

Anina’s strategy of reusing rejected produce is on track for expansion to countries that contribute high amounts of food waste. “Following the successful product launch in Israel and the positive feedback we received from US millennials, we are set to bring our products to the US,” concludes Natan. 

Edited by Sabine Waldeck