Healthy snacks made from discarded fruit combats tonnes of waste in Chichester

The founders of Squished – part of the Chichester Food and Drink Company – have developed a ‘unique process’ to make a range of rescue fruit snacks including Energy Balls, Flapjack Bites and Fruit Tangles.

At a new production plant in Vinnetrow Road, Runcton, these snacks are made from the annual £1.2bn of surplus fruit that doesn’t meet the exacting supermarket standards.

Founder and director Simon Smith said: “We believe food waste is absolutely criminal and our fruit comes, all of seven metres, from The Summer Berry Company into our factory.

“We process it in a unique and special way, to create Squished fruit snacks with no added sugar or added anything except goodness of nature.”

As ‘pioneers in air particle food drying’, the team at the Chichester Food & Drink Company has led the charge in combating food waste.

A company spokesperson said: “We saw all these lorries going past our factory in Chichester with thousands of tons of fruit and vegetables all going to waste. We thought we must be able to do something about this.

“We’re aiming to rescue at least 600 tonnes of this fruit through our air-drying process every year to lock in the intense natural flavours and nutrients.

“It’s really taken off. Everyone is really supportive of what we’re trying to achieve. We are trying to build a movement to stop food waste.”

The company said 16 Co-op stores are to stock its Squished products.

Each blueberry energy ball contains approximately 25 blueberries and just one portion of fruit tangles is made from 75 blueberries, with ‘not a fruit concentrate or flavouring in sight’.

The spokesperson added: “Blueberries are a certified superfood, stuffed with antioxidants and anthocyanins, which have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce cholesterol levels and are associated with slower cognitive decline during ageing.

“The Chichester Food & Drink Company are one of a number of companies emerging to join the fight against food waste and the fact that the products they are producing with all this rescue fruit are so delicious just makes the story that much better.

“This is just the beginning. With their innovative drying process, the routes that Squished can explore with rescue fruit are truly endless.

“It will be exciting to watch this story develop.”

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