Turners & Growers : T&G Foods has signed an agreement with start-up business Green Spot Technologies to supply pomace to produce fermented apple flour.

T&G Foods, a division of T&G Global, has signed an agreement with start-up business Green Spot Technologies to supply pomace to produce fermented apple flour.

The new partnership between T&G Foods and Green Spot will commence with trial production of fermented apple flour using T&G pomace.

T&G Foods general manager, Colin Lyford says T&G will provide up to 150 kg per week to Green Spot at no charge to support its commencement of the trial production of fermented apple flour at its East Tamaki factory.

'We are also working with Green Spot to help them identify market opportunities for fermented apple flour, evaluate pricing and sampling it through our sales team in both New Zealand and Australia. We currently work with numerous foodservice companies and bakers across both countries and early interest has been positive.'

Fermented apple flour is a viable alternative to wheat-based flour and has numerous health benefits including being gluten-free, GMO-free, dairy-free and vegan-friendly. It's also high in protein, dietary fibres, low in calories, fat and is a natural source of prebiotics, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

T&G Foods produces around 10,000 tonnes of apple pomace annually from its operations in Nelson and nearly 6000 tonnes from its plant in Hastings. Pomace is produced as a by-product from the pressing of whole apples to obtain juice and consists of seeds, stems, and peel with flesh residue attached.

T&G Foods currently sells apple pomace as an animal stock feed however some is sent for composting by Waste Management.

'T&G Foods is pleased to be able to support the start-up of any independent processor who can add value to waste product chain,' adds Lyford. 'Our goal is to find sales for all parts of the apple that we grow and that cannot be sold as first grade. In doing so, we add value to growers and horticulture as a whole.'

T&G will supply Green Spot with up to 150kgs of apple pomace per week over the next year with the product transported from Hawkes Bay.

Green Spot Technologies is a start-up business based in Auckland that combines environmental sustainability and social well-being by using natural resources to provide consumers with nutritionally balanced fermented food products.

Co-founders Ninna Granucci and Silas Villas-Boas says they are thrilled to partner with T&G Foods, one of New Zealand's larger producers of fresh fruit and vegetables.

'We believe that all natural resources need to be explored taking into consideration the environmental, social and economic impact, which is aligned with T&G's core values,' Silas Villas-Boas explains.