Third-party verifier of food production practices Where Food Comes From, Inc. (WFCF) announced today it had acquired the Upcycled Certified Program from the Upcycled Food Association.
The Upcycled Food Association launched its certification program in early 2021, becoming, at the time, the first certification program for the nascent upcycled food industry. Since then, 93 companies have obtained Upcycled Certified status for over 480 products, according to the Upcycled Food Association. The group claims it has helped divert an average of 390,000 tons of food waste annually.
WFCF makes sense as a natural home for the Upcycled certification program given the company’s focus on with food industry verification. The company manages verification programs for organic foods, non-GMO foods, and the humane treatment of animals among others. And now with the acquisition of the UPFA’s verification program, they add a fairly fast-growing new category to their stable.
As for the Upcycled Food Association’s future, the non-profit group looks to continue to facilitate the growth of the industry even as it exits the verification business.
“The Upcycled Food Association is looking forward to ongoing collaboration to effectively serve the broader food waste reduction community and to ensuring that upcycled food companies have the resources they need to develop and bring to market new upcycled food products,” wrote the Upcycled Food Association CEO Angie Crone on her Linkedin.
