Albert Heijn gives food byproducts a second life

Albert Heijn is expanding its range of circular products to further reduce food waste. With the motto "one person’s waste is another’s resource," the supermarket chain has launched an assortment of over 50 products made from food waste. This collaboration with suppliers gives a second life to food byproducts, contributing to a more sustainable food system and reducing food loss.

From grain waste to sponge cake

Albert Heijn’s shelves now feature a variety of circular products, including vegetarian cheese schnitzels made from leftover cheese pieces, high-fiber sponge cakes made with grain waste from the beer brewing process, and banana cookies made with rescued bananas from their own supply chain. The use of these circular ingredients showcases Albert Heijn’s innovative approach to tackling food waste. These products are expected to reduce food waste by 2 million kilograms annually and also contribute to lowering CO₂ emissions. Albert Heijn aims to expand this assortment further by 2025.

Responsibility for a sustainable future

Anita Scholte op Reimer, Director of Sustainability & Quality at Albert Heijn, emphasizes the importance of using resources more efficiently. “Together with our suppliers, we aim to fight waste and reduce our CO₂ emissions. Our products made from circular ingredients offer an innovative solution to food waste—and they taste great, too.” Toine Timmermans from Stichting Samen tegen Voedselverspilling commends Albert Heijn as a leader in waste reduction, stressing the importance of scalable solutions. In various stores, customers can discover these circular products and get inspiration to reduce waste at home, including tips and recipes available via the AH app.

Ah.nl