Rescued Relish is an anything-goes condiment made from excess produce that Philabundance, a Philadelphia anti-hunger organization, can't move. The relish is modeled on a Pennsylvania Dutch chowchow recipe — a tangy mix of sweet, spicy and sour flavors. Source: Drexel Food Lab Researchers from the University of Drexel were met with promising results after setting out to measure consumer willingness to buy and consume foods made from discarded ingredients.

The study gauged participant reaction to purchasing and consuming value-added surplus products (VASP) made from ingredients discarded during the manufacturing process, often because they are deemed unattractive and unfit for display in the grocery store. For instance, imagine eating relish made from vegetables rejected from a grocery store or granola bars containing spent brewing grains.

Researchers believe that marketing this untapped source of food would help solve issues of food insecurity experienced by over 40 million Americans. However, the VASPs' associations to descriptors such as "waste" and "garbage" present challenges.

"There is an economic, environmental and cultural argument for keeping food, when possible, as food and not trash," said Jonathan Deutsch, PhD professor in the Center for Food and Hospitality Management at Drexel, who has created 'upcycled' products with the Drexel Food Lab in the past. "Converting surplus foods into value-added products will feed people, create opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and lower the environmental impact of wasted resources."

During the study, researchers presented participants with three categories of food — conventional, organic and value-added surplus food — and asked for participant feedback concerning feelings about the product in relation to the environment. Overall, participants expressed that the VASPs were environmentally-friendlier than conventional foods but no more so than the organic food category. Additionally, participants also understood what the benefit of consuming these products might mean for others.

In terms of marketing such a product, participants were presented with a number of product brand labels for the VASPs, which included words like “rescaled,” “upcycled,” “reprocessed,” “rescued” and “recycled.” Among participants, “upcycled” was the favorite.

"Value-added surplus foods may be perceived closer to organic foods as a category, encouraging the possibility of promoting such foods as a new category offering benefits to society," said Rajneesh Suri, PhD, professor in the LeBow College of Business.

"Depending upon how you communicate such products, they might also be able to fetch a price premium, like those afforded to organic foods," Suri explained.

The study is published in the Journal of Consumer Behaviour.