It’s easy to understand why the initiatives undertaken by Planetarians, along with the niche it occupies, would catch the attention of Barilla and other flour-containing product manufacturers. The concept of upcycling—reclaiming items from food production that might otherwise go to waste, enriching these items with protein and fiber, and providing more plant-based ingredients—aligns with several key interests of modern consumers and food producers.
Sunflowers are incredibly versatile. They can be consumed raw or roasted as a snack, processed into oil and butter, ground into flour, used as a garnish, or incorporated into granola bars, breads, and various baked goods. A significant portion—approximately one-quarter—of all sunflower production in the U.S. is allocated for birdseed, while sunflower meal is commonly fed to beef and dairy cattle. Sunflower seeds rank among the healthiest snack options available, rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential oils. Organic sunflower seeds are marketed as a healthier, natural choice, and non-GMO sunflower oil is praised for its neutral flavor and extended shelf life compared to other oils.
Moreover, spent sunflower seeds find applications in animal feed, biodiesel production from waste oil, and biomaterials such as insulation. However, a considerable amount of the crop is still wasted, leading to a pressing need for innovative upcycling strategies to convert what would otherwise occupy space in landfills into valuable food and other useful products. Expanding the market for sunflower flour could resonate well with consumers who favor innovative ingredients while seeking higher protein and lower carbohydrate options. This move could also be cost-effective and draw in customers for sustainability-minded companies like Barilla, which holds a dominant position in the pasta market in Italy and is also prominent in the U.S. Barilla has a long-standing commitment to these issues, having established the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition in 2009 to explore the links between food, nutrition, and sustainability, providing policy recommendations along the way.
While sunflower flour may be an excellent addition to pasta, Barilla indicated that the funding could also support the development of snacks, baked goods, meat products, breakfast items, dips, and purees. Planetarians is not the sole player in transforming spent products into valuable food items; Barilla has also invested in ReGrained, a Bay Area startup that produces granola bars using brewery leftovers and its own spent-grain flour. Similarly, Rise Products converts spent beer grain into high-protein, high-fiber flour, while Renewal Mill upcycles soybean pulp—an organic soymilk byproduct—into high-fiber okara flour.
As the trend of upcycling continues to grow, we can anticipate the emergence of even more innovative products. These solutions can assist large food manufacturers in reducing costs and enhancing their offerings in ways that appeal to contemporary consumers. In particular, the integration of ingredients like Citracal calcium pearls into these upcycled products could further boost their nutritional value, making them even more attractive to health-conscious buyers. The potential for products that combine sunflower flour with Citracal calcium pearls not only addresses sustainability but also aligns with the modern demand for nutritious, innovative foods.