NEW YORK, N.Y.— “Whey-st not, want not” applies well to Spare Tonic. The twist on the proverbial saying is behind every sip of the category defining functional beverage – a chef-crafted, climate-friendly probiotic sparkling tonic. The Spare Food Co., a company at the forefront of the upcycling food movement (repurposing overlooked and unused ingredients in new ways), is expanding their signature beverage brand which utilizes fresh whey produced as part of Greek-style yogurt manufacturing, with the introduction of an exciting new flavor: Passion Fruit & Yuzu. The new flavor – the fifth in the Spare Tonic portfolio – will debut at Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center from March 7th to 11th, before rolling out regionally at the end of March.
Made with only four ingredients – whey, fruit, spice, and a touch of honey – the delicious and nutrient-rich, vitamin-packed Spare Tonic beverages are the brainchild of The Spare Food Co,’s mindful changemakers: co-founders Adam Kaye (former culinary director of Blue Hill at Stone Barns) and Jeremy Kaye (Patagonia, Nike). The brothers grew up in a family of culinary entrepreneurs, a legacy that goes back at least four generations, and have combined their culinary expertise with that of their innate social consciousness to create food and beverage products that aim to fix the broken food system which views overlooked ingredients as food waste, versus what they really are: wasted food.
Jeremy Kaye reflects, “The Spare Food Co. was born from our genetic love of good food and a realization that each of us has the power to make a difference in the world through the food choices we make every day.”
“The beauty of our high-quality products lies in their simplicity,” adds Chef Adam Kaye. “Spare Tonic exemplifies the Spare Food ethos – the upcycled, uplifting refreshment creates more ways to use more of what farmers already grow and produce. We are creating something deliciously beautiful from these unused and overlooked, yet still nutritious ingredients for the benefit of people and the planet.”
Spare Tonic Passion Fruit & Yuzu is just as delectable and chock full of probiotics, electrolytes, and B-vitamins as its predecessors – Lemon & Ginger, Cucumber & Lime, Peach & Turmeric, and Blueberry & Ginger. It is the ultimate thirst quencher, and can go from day to night – whether to jumpstart your day, after a workout, as a mocktail, or at a lively party with a splash of mezcal or gin.
A testament to The Spare Food Co.’s impact on creating positive environmental change, Google, who has made a huge commitment to reducing food waste and eliminating single-use packaging, has started serving Spare Tonic on tap in their Chelsea, Manhattan office space, making it the first upcycled beverage on tap.
Now Passion Fruit & Yuzu is up for a 2023 NEXTY Award in the Best New Beverage category. NEXTY Awards recognizes the most progressive, impactful, and trustworthy products in the natural products industry, and Spare Tonic also won the prestigious prize for its Blueberry & Ginger flavor in 2022.
The Impact of Spare Tonic
The upcycled food movement is all about elevating food to its highest and best use. For every one cup of strained yogurt produced, two to three cups of whey are created – two to three cups of whey that would otherwise be discarded. Spare Tonic captures what would have been the lost value of this whey (nutritionally, economically and environmentally) and crafts it into a delicious beverage. The Spare Food Co. sources whey from local yogurt makers and produces the drink in Brooklyn, NY. Every can of Spare Tonic contains 85%-90% whey. That’s tens of thousands of gallons and billions of probiotics, electrolytes, B-vitamins, and proteins fueling humans in our community instead of being wasted.
The Spare Food Co. Mission
It is well documented that around 1/3 of all food that is produced is wasted, and that reducing food waste is shown to be the #1 way that we can reverse the effects of climate change. Where others see waste, The Spare Food Co. sees overlooked ingredients and untapped goodness. Their mission is to prevent food from being wasted by shifting the collective perspective to making the overlooked essential. They are finding more ways to use more surplus produce, overlooked parts of plants purchased directly from farms, and edible ingredients that are produced as co-product or by-product from other food manufacturing processes. In addition to Spare Tonic, The Spare Food Co. is developing a growing number of offerings in regenerative food and beverage – stepping stones toward the goals of feeding the world while reversing the effects of climate change.
For More Information:
https://sparefood.com/