Register for free to
view the full innovation profile.
We create sustainable, functional ingredients from plant based food industry by-products / surplus - ideal for brands focused on taste, nutrition, and ESG goals.
About
Circular Food Co is an Irish food innovation company transforming by-products from the brewing and bakery industries into high-performance, upcycled ingredients.
Our current ingredient range is made from spent malted barley sourced from Irish brewers. These grains, originally used to brew beer, are gently processed into versatile functional ingredients designed to improve both sustainability and product performance across bakery, snacks, meat, fish, and plant-based applications.
Our upcycled ingredients offer the following key functionalities:
- Natural Sweetening – SweetMalt™ delivers mild, malt-based sweetness, reducing the need for added sugars or syrups
- Cocoa Powder Replacement – CocoMalt™ offers a rich, roasted profile and dark colour as a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to cocoa powder
- Flavour Enhancement – All variants provide depth, balance, and complexity across savoury and sweet recipes
- Natural Colour – Adds golden or chocolate-like tones without artificial colours or E-numbers
- Nutritional Boost – Naturally high in fibre and plant-based protein to support front-of-pack claims
- Sustainability Impact – Upcycled ingredients that help food brands cut waste, reduce carbon impact, and make validated sustainability claims
We partner with food manufacturers and innovation teams to co-create future-forward products that meet evolving consumer expectations for nutrition, sustainability, and clean-label simplicity.
Key Benefits
1. Ingredient Innovation from Waste
Our products repurpose high-quality brewing and bakery by-products into functional ingredients, unlocking value from materials traditionally discarded.
2. Clean Label Compliance
Each ingredient contains only natural components—no additives, E-numbers, or artificial colours—making clean-label reformulation easier for food developers.
3. Cost Efficiency
Our ingredients can replace more expensive inputs like cocoa powder, seeds, or added sugars, offering a smart route to improved margins and supply chain stability.
4. Format Flexibility
Available in multiple formats—powdered, coarse, or crumb—suited to a wide range of applications from bakery and snacks to meat, fish, and plant-based.
5. ESG & Claims Support
Our upcycled ingredients support on-pack sustainability messaging and help food businesses meet measurable ESG and circularity targets.
6. Co-Creation & Speed to Market
We collaborate closely with innovation teams to adapt formats and deliver fast, tailored solutions for new product development and reformulation challenges.
Applications
Food Manufacturing