026 - Growing Upcycling with TJ Galiardi of Outcast Foods

It seems ludicrous that farmers and grocers throw so much good food away. Surprisingly, very few people have come up with solutions to this problem. Outcast Foods is the world’s first sustainable nutrition company that is disrupting the status quo of food waste using dehydration.Today's guest is TJ Galiardi, Co-Founder, and CMO of Outcast Foods, and he joins us to talk about the explosive growth of his brand and the upcycling movement. Our conversation covers TJ’s process of working out how to dehydrate a wide range of fruits and vegetables considering that each product needs to be treated differently. We talk about the issue that while upcycling seems like a no-brainer, TJ and his partner found the process of convincing farmers and lawmakers about the benefits of repurposing surplus fruits and vegetables to be a huge challenge. Join us today and listen to TJ’s simple but highly effective solution to the issue of food waste! Key Points From This Episode: The idea of ending food waste by dehydrating surplus products and how TJ came up with it. The different applications for dehydrated food; protein powder, B2B ingredient powders, fruit chips, and more. What got TJ interested in the issue of food waste and doing something to solve it. Challenges around convincing farmers and passing regulations to get the upcycling idea off the ground. The evolution of the upcycling movement and the companies doing it in different ways. Great sales Outcast Foods is experiencing and the role of the upcycling and sustainability movement in this. How TJ got into food and nutrition and met his partner before starting Outcast Foods. The approach to marketing and sales, the role of an online B2C model, and the areas that Outcast Foods is focusing on serving. Why TJ became a vegan through the influence of his wife and the health benefits of the diet. Success Outcast Foods has had in raising capital and the new facilities they are building. The role of TJ’s partner Dr. Darren Burke in coming up with new product formulations. The elements of TJ’s past have fueled his success in his current role. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Evolve CPGTJ Galiardi on LinkedInTJ Galiardi on TwitterDr. Darren Burke on TwitterOutcast FoodsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.