Pectin360, Original Juice Company to collaborate on pilot plant for upcycling fruit waste

Food ingredient startup Pectin 360 (P360) has announced a partnership with ASX-listed The Original Juice Company (TOJC), aiming to upcycle food waste into pectin and fibre, with an unnamed research and commercialisation partner selected to help establish a pilot plant.

In a statement this week from P360, the company said a Heads of Agreement had been executed between the two.

It added that “an ideal research partner with proven plant processing equipment and highly experienced staff” had been selected to help implementation, which would reduce time and cost as “equipment is available immediately (as part of a project service agreement) to deliver the pilot plant.” 

TOJC has a waste footprint representing over 10,000 tonnes per annum of citrus peel and apple pomace annually. It currently manufactures at the Melbourne suburb Mill Park.

The location of the pilot plant and a predicted timeline were not specified.

Founder and CEO of P360 Martin Kaderavek said: “We are thrilled to partner with TOJC on our plans to develop pectin and fibre that will be 100 [per cent] Australian made and provide a cost competitive domestic alternative to expensive, imported pectin which many industries rely on.” 

According to a statement from P360 in March, it had previously worked with commercialisation and engineering business Scimita Ventures. Scimita’s services included a techno-economic analysis and process improvement.

According to P360, the techno-economic assessment (completed in February this year) showed “robust economic returns, a cash-cost materially below average imported pectin prices for the last 5 years (compiled by ABS) and a highly sustainable process.”

“This program is strongly aligned with our mission to utilise the entire fruit in a value adding way, reducing our waste footprint while creating jobs and value,” added TOJC’s CEO Steve Cail.

Early this month TOJC announced an agreement to merge with fruit and vegetable processor SPC and powdered milk business Nature One Dairy, creating a major food and beverage business with “increased scale, diversification, significant operational synergies”. 

The merger is subject to shareholder approval and other conditions.

Picture: credit Ivar Leidus (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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