Nova Scotia company steps up processing in light of COVID-19

March 26, 2020, Dartmouth, N.S. – Outcast Foods is aggressively increasing its production to address the high demand for North American dried fruits and vegetables brought on by COVID-19.

The company uses a state of the art, three-step process to dry the produce immediately, locking in the nutrients and extending shelf life to more than two years.

“COVID-19 has created a cascade of impacts through the food industry. Food companies and manufacturers are being forced to evaluate all aspects of their supply chain,” said Outcast Foods CEO Dr. Darren Burke. “The proactive ones are shifting ingredients to sustainable, traceable options from North America as opposed to China and India.

“Every pound of our dried produce has a story. Where did it come from? Why was it going to be wasted? Why was the farmer not going to be able to sell it? Customers are demanding full transparency when it comes to traceability now.”

Outcast has also partnered with many more farms in recent weeks to procure more surplus produce. “The traditional agriculture system hasn’t changed for decades. We are entering the agriculture space as an innovative way for farms to drive sustainability and profitability,” said TJ Galiardi, CMO of Outcast Foods.

Next up for Outcast Foods is the construction of an even larger processing facility currently planned for rural Nova Scotia to service the largest farms in the province.

Outcast Foods has developed a technology that can turn surplus fruits and vegetables into high-value whole plant powders. This reduces food waste, decreases greenhouse gases and makes nutrients in food last longer. The company works with farms, food brokers and grocers to convert misfit produce into natural health products, pet food and cosmetics.