Ecuadorian Startup Turns Rejected Fruit Into Vegan Ice Cream 

Ecuador-based startup Takay Foods recently developed a way to upcycle would-be wasted tropical fruit by turning it into vegan smoothies and ice cream. The brand sources 80 percent of its core ingredients from crops that do not meet export standards such as bananas that are too thick or mangoes that are too small. “The only ingredients which are not up cycled are the ones that do not suffer any loss due to cosmetic standards,” Takay founder Lucho Escobar told Foodnavigator LATM. “For example, chia seeds, flax seeds, sea salt, and raw cacao powder.” With these ingredients, the company creates blendable cups filled with superfoods in flavors such as Mint Cacao Nib, Guava Trip, and Tropical Coffee. The frozen blends in each cup can be mixed in a blender to produce a smoothie or a food processor to create vegan ice cream. Takay’s blends are currently available at select retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Heb, Sprouts, Gelsons, and Bristol Farms.