VENTURA, CA - Following the lead of companies like Loblaw, Sunkist and Ventura Coastal have taken on the task of increasing sustainability through utilizing less-than-perfect produce.
The two organizations have jointly released a sustainability case study entitled, "From Grove to Glass and Beyond: Using the Whole Fruit,” that aims to reduce waste by identifying, expanding or creating markets to utilize citrus fruit that does not meet quality standards for fresh sale. The end result would ideally be that every part of the fruit is used, including the peel.
By providing Ventura Coastal with its byproducts, Sunkist seeks to ensure that its growers’ fruit is being fully utilized, while also providing the market with various desired and profitable citrus products.
According to the report, Ventura Coastal is a strong partner for Sunkist, and is a Safe Quality Food certified manufacturer.
Other highlights from the report include:
- Ventura Coastal processed around 30 million single strength gallons of citrus juice annually from Sunkist fruit.
- Each year, Ventura Coastal sells approximately 285,000 short tons of citrus peel to dairy farmers throughout the state of California to be used as a primary nutritional ingredient for cattle feed.
- During peak season, Ventura Coastal processes nearly 5,000 short tons of fresh fruit each day.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that global food wastage was responsible for 3.6 billion tons of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available. Wasted food also takes nearly 60 cubic miles of water to produce every year.
For more information, you can read Sunkist's report here.
