NUTRITIOUS powder and puree products are being developed from surplus vegetables, increasing the value of what would be otherwise wasted food.
New company Nutri V, formed by Fresh Select and CSIRO, will also offer products with enhanced nutritional content using CSIRO's microencapsulation of healthy oils and gut health fermentation applications.
Nutri V chief executive officer, John Said, said the powders and purees would lock in vegetable's natural colour and flavour.
"We'll be able to minimise wastage by using the entire crop to make powder - ugly veg, stems and leaves as well - not just the retail-fit parts," Mr Said said.
"In the years to come, our planet needs to produce more with the same resources and we see Nutri V as part of that solution."
Two years ago, Hort Innovation and the CSIRO developed a powderised broccoli product which drew media attention when it was used within a "broccoli latte" within a Melbourne cafe.
At the time, Fresh Select indicated it was looking at the commercial opportunities available.
A North Queensland-based company, Natural Evolution Foods, has been successfully producing banana flour since 2014, while also developing the same processing technology to salvage other oversupplied or weather damaged horticulture crops including sweetpotato and broccoli.
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It is estimated only seven per cent of Australian adults and 5pc of children eat the recommended five serves of vegetables a day.
At the same time, food waste costs the Australian economy $20 billion each year, with about 20pc of all vegetables grown in Australia wasted before even hitting retail shelves.
CSIRO scientist, Dr Pablo Juliano, said Nutri V was creating products for all Australians to enjoy, while making a difference for the planet.
"We've been able to apply our expertise in creating nutrient dense foods with innovative techniques to tackle the challenge of converting what might otherwise be lower value crops into foods with enhanced nutritional profile," Dr Juliano said.
"This is next-step innovation in plant-based ingredient and product technology."
Mr Said he did not see the Nuri V products as a replacement for a fresh and healthy diet.
"Fresh is best," Mr Said said.
"Rather, Nutri V provides an opportunity to help consumers increase their vegetable intake quickly and easily.
"Nutri V sees these ingredients as a fantastic opportunity for the Australian food industry to increase the nutritional content of products to maximise the health of consumers."
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