Hängry Foods - Making Food Waste convenient
At Hängry Foods, we make sustainability convenient by producing convenience products from surplus food and side streams for gastronomy and retail. We collect surplus harvests from agriculture and side-streams from the industry and process them into semi-finished products for retail and gastronomy, preventing these products from being wasted or downcycled into biogas and animal feed. Our products consist of at least 80 % saved food.
Who are the people behind the project and what is your background?
We are the founders of Hängry, who crossed paths during our food technology studies. Prior to our academic pursuits, each of us had already immersed ourselves in the gastronomy field, working as a chef or restaurant specialist. Throughout our studies, we actively sought out opportunities to gain practical experience in various startups and industries. Fueled by our passion for entrepreneurship and a desire for a more sustainable food system, we embarked on the path of starting our own company.
How did your idea come into being?
As students constantly on the move, we often rely on convenient, on-the-go food options when we're away from home. Unfortunately, these products frequently lack sustainability and transparency regarding the origins of their ingredients. Moreover, during our studies, we gained profound insights into the staggering problem of excessive and unmanageable food production.
Inspired by the need to address these interconnected challenges, the idea of Hängry Foods took shape in late 2021. We delved into a rigorous conceptualization phase in early 2022, which eventually led to the successful development of a Proof of Concept (POC) later that year. With the POC validated, we embarked on the ambitious task of scaling up our idea in 2023. Currently, our primary focus lies in expanding the production of Okara-balls, crafted from the side stream called OKARA, in collaboration with a prominent food manufacturer.
Production tests are currently underway.
What is your idea to impactfully design a climate positive FOODprint for Switzerland?
Switzerland currently witnesses a staggering amount of 2.8 million tons of food wastage. This significant waste stems from various sources, including the food industry, which generates substantial side-streams, and the agricultural sector, where surplus fruits, vegetables, and non-standardized products often remain unharvested due to the inability to sell them.
Our project aims to combat this pressing issue and contribute to a substantial reduction in food waste on a larger scale throughout Switzerland. Our innovative product offers customers a convenient way to enjoy surplus produce, transforming them into valuable resources within a new value chain. By providing a solution for consuming saved products, we aim to reduce waste and create a sustainable approach to food consumption.
How do you define the positive impact of your solution on the problem described above?
The products developed were meticulously designed to be produced on a larger scale, thereby facilitating the rescue of greater quantities of food and industrial side-streams.
By implementing our scalable production methods, we aspire to make a substantial impact on the overall reduction of food waste in Switzerland. Our innovative approach not only addresses the challenges posed by surplus agricultural produce but also tackles the issue of unutilized side-streams generated by the food industry. Through our efforts, we aim to create a sustainable and efficient system that maximizes the utilization of available resources while minimizing waste.
By partnering with key stakeholders, including major food manufacturers and retailers, we intend to establish a robust distribution network that efficiently manages surplus agricultural products and industrial side-streams.
