What started about half a year ago with a dumpster-dive adventure grew into a social initiative to prevent vegetable waste. Crooked cucumbers, two-legged carrots, heart-shaped tomatoes and excessively large beets are usually wasted because of their looks. In the Netherlands, this is estimated to be the case for about 5 to 10% of all vegetables. Also, oversupply is a major reason why vegetables end up being used for animal feed or thrown into bio-digesters. On 24 May, the first line of soup made from crazy vegetables was launched, striving to turn "crooked" into the new "right".
Food waste
Food waste is a hot topic lately, and according to Jente, Chantal and Lisanne (founders of Krom Doom), it is also good that people are talking about it. Already for years there is data on global food waste statistics (30-50% of total production) and its impact on our planet. Throwing away good food does not only entail the loss of the product, but also of all the energy and resources that were needed to grow those tomatoes or cucumbers. According to the girls, solutions to solve this problem are not arriving quickly enough. "There is literally and figuratively so much low-hanging fruit that when it comes to reducing waste our main goal became to try seizing those opportunities," said Jente. "That's why, rather than continuing to raise awareness, we have started actually doing something with Krom Kommer!"
Concrete action
After a year of pilot projects to bring crazy vegetables back to the plate, the choice eventually fell on soup. "We wanted to combine the raising of awareness with concrete action to reduce food waste," says Lisanne. The product range includes vegetables that would otherwise not be consumed, and which not only result in less waste, but can also be delicious!
Soup from rescued vegetables
On 24 May, the new soup line was launched. This was possible thanks to a major crowdfunding campaign. "This year, we are looking for 20,000 crazy vegetable heroes to join the 'Krommunity', indulge in our soup and hear our story," explains Lisanne. During the crowdfunding, a total of 837 heroes already joined and jointly funded the soups. Krom Kommer soups are pure vegetable soups with no sugar or gluten and of course presented in sustainable packaging. Each soup has a surprising twist; the tomato soup, for example, contains yellow cherry tomatoes. The soups will initially be sold at WAAR stores and some speciality stores. "And if the soup line does well," says Jente enthusiastically, "you can expect a deli line this year!"
www.kromkommer.com