「Ugly Food」 重生 化身寵物鮮食包

According to statistics from the Hong Kong Environment Bureau in 2011, 3,600 tonnes of leftovver food and kitchen waste are discarded daily in Hong Kong. To reduce waste, some charitable organizations collect unsold vegetables from wet markets and donate them to grassroots citizens. However, some "Ugly Food" is rejected due to its appearance and ultimately ends up rotting in landfills. In light of this, three environmental entrepreneurs decided to "rescue" these unattractive ingredients, upcycling them into nutritious food, giving these foods a "second life."

Letting Pets Educate Their Owners

The reborn "Ugly Food" is transformed into nutritious, fresh pet food. But why pet food instead of other food products? The founder says, "Hong Kong lacks education on food recycling. If we made human food, the public might not accept it, so we started with pet food, which is more readily accepted." He explains that the public often misunderstands "Ugly Food" as kitchen waste. However, food becomes kitchen waste only after being processed in the kitchen and discarded, whereas "Ugly Food" refers to unsold produce in wet markets. Therefore, they hope to use the image of pets enjoying the food to educate owners that leftover vegetables, after trimming damaged parts and thorough cleaning, are still delicious and edible, achieving the goal of "food cherishing."

Nutrient-Rich Fresh Food Pouches

They collaborate with the Vegetable Marketing Organization and some food recovery organizations to collect leftover vegetables from wet markets. Then, they process the ingredients and produce fresh food pouches at their own facility. The ingredients and portions of the eco-friendly pet food pouches are recommended by professional nutritionists. Each flavor combines one main vegetable with one main meat, ensuring a balanced diet. The pouches come in various flavors. Besides the common chicken, there are also hypoallergenic duck and fish recipes, suitable for dogs with sensitive stomachs. The pouches have a shelf life of 3 to 4 months. Before serving, simply thaw them in hot water for 8 to 10 minutes. The portion size depends on the dog's size and calorie intake. The three founders also welcome owners to customize meal plans for dogs with specific needs, catering to different breeds and health conditions.

Bringing Warmth to Stray Animals

Besides recycling leftover vegetables, the three founders also collaborate with charities that rescue stray animals, providing them with fresh food pouches. Pirry describes it as: "These charities rescue stray dogs, we rescue food, and then we use the rescued food to rescue stray dogs." TH adds, "Seeing them eat with such joy gives us encouragement and motivation to develop more new products." However, the three feel that Hong Kong's education on waste reduction and recycling is very behind, lacking knowledge on how to properly utilize waste materials. For example, they once held a workshop where owners could make food to share with their dogs. The ingredients were similar to those in the food pouches, demonstrating that with a slight change in mindset, leftover food can become a shared delicacy for humans and pets. Cleveland concludes, "Waste reduction involves many aspects. Upcycling leftover vegetables into fresh food pouches is just one part, but the ultimate goal of all efforts is to reduce waste." Waste reduction is a long journey, but if everyone takes small steps, we can reach the destination together.

Slow-Cooked Fresh Food Pouch Production Process

The founder of Furry Green states that slow cooking can lower the cooking temperature, thus preserving the nutrients in the food. In addition, the slow-cooking method requires vacuum sealing. After cooking, the food pouches can be directly frozen at -18 degrees Celsius, ensuring food safety and extending shelf life. The food safety standards of the pouches are based on the advice of a food safety professor, reaching "human-grade" levels.

1. After washing, the ingredients are cut into small pieces.

2. Then, they are lightly blended in a food processor, and all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

3. The mixed ingredients are divided into small pouches.

4. Next, all the small pouches are vacuum-sealed.

5. Finally, they are slow-cooked at 80 degrees Celsius.