Can you share your ideas for alternative and upcycled ingredients?

We are interested in understanding consumer needs and interests when it comes to alternative and upcycled ingredients. We also want to hear your ideas for new products with alternative and upcycled ingredients.

There are more options than ever when food shopping today. The use of alternative and upcycled ingredients are two ways in which our food choices have expanded. You may be familiar with alternative ingredient foods such as items like chickpea flower, veggie pasta noodles, and things that are gluten-free. Upcycled ingredients are most commonly food byproducts that are safe to consume and that may have otherwise been thrown away, such as grains from beer making or vegetable pulp. These upcycled ingredients can then be used to make other food products like granola bars, juices, and even pizza!

We want to understand what consumers are looking for when it comes to alternative and upcycled ingredients. We also want to offer new products made with alternative and upcycled ingredients that they will be excited about!

Begin by answering the survey questions. Then answer the deliverables (below) in the open text box:

Tell us about your experience shopping for products with alternative and/or upcycled ingredients.
1. When shopping for food, do you currently seek out alternative or upcycled ingredients? Why or why not? (for example, is it for a specific diet? nutrition? sustainability?)
2. If you shop for alternative and/or upcycled ingredients, what are you looking for specifically? Where are you usually looking for these items in a food store (section or aisle)?
3. What types of food products made with upcycled ingredients would you be most excited to try? What types of upcycled food products would you not want to try?
Has the recent Covid-19 pandemic impacted your food choices as they relate to alternative and/or upcycled ingredients? (For example, are there foods you look for now that you didn’t shop for before? Things you are willing to pay more for? Foods you avoid?)
What new product would you like to see made with either alternative or upcycled ingredients? This should be something you would not find currently in stores today.