Beckon's newest creation is an upcycled ice cream product that makes the most of broken peanut butter cups from UNREAL. The Peanut Butter Cup and Dark Chocolate Brownie flavor is lactose-free and it responds to consumer demand for a peanut butter flavor. According to co-founder, Katy Flannery, "We had received tons of requests for a Peanut Butter flavor but it can be hard to find mix-ins that meet our strict ingredient standards."
For this upcycled ice cream product, the Boston-based women-owned ice cream company worked with another Boston brand to reduce food waste and put imperfect products to good use. Although this is the first time that the ice cream brand has incorporated upcycled ingredients into its products, it is open to creating more in the future.
Lactose-Free Upcycled Ice Creams
Beckon's Newest Flavor is Made with Broken Peanut Butter Cups
Trend Themes
1. Upcycling Food Waste - Beckon's use of broken peanut butter cups in their ice cream flavor demonstrates a trend toward upcycling food waste to create innovative products.
2. Lactose-free Alternatives - Beckon's lactose-free ice cream flavor highlights the trend toward creating alternatives for consumers with dietary restrictions.
3. Demand for Peanut Butter Flavor - The demand for a peanut butter flavor in Beckon's ice cream illustrates a trend in the food industry for unique and unconventional flavor combinations.
Industry Implications
1. Food Manufacturing - The food manufacturing industry can explore innovative methods of utilizing imperfect or discarded ingredients to create new products.
2. Dairy Alternatives - The dairy alternatives industry can take advantage of the demand for lactose-free options and expand their product offerings to appeal to a wider range of consumers.
3. Confectionery - The confectionery industry can explore partnerships with food manufacturers to repurpose broken or imperfect products in new ways, as seen with Beckon's use of UNREAL's broken peanut butter cups in their ice cream.