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In October 2023, POM Wonderful’s liquid pomegranate extract, POMxL, received Upcycled Certified® designation by the world’s first third-party certification program for upcycled food ingredients and products. An upcycled ingredient is made up of at least 95% material that was originally produced for human consumption and would have gone to waste but was ultimately diverted from the landfill to have a positive impact on the environment.
Under POM Wonderful’s Specialty Ingredients division, POMxL is made from 100% upcycled material using the rinds of pomegranate fruit leftover from the brand’s proprietary method of pressing whole pomegranates to create POM 100% Pomegranate Juice. By pressure extracting and concentrating the crushed rinds — without the use of harsh chemicals — a liquid extract containing the pomegranate polyphenol antioxidant is created to make POMxL.
Beyond being a key ingredient in POM Wonderful’s Antioxidant Super Tea, POMxL can be used in a variety of applications, including beverages, plant-based foods, and beauty products. In addition to its clean label and Upcycled Certification, POMxL as an ingredient can help suppliers reduce sodium and sugar, enhance color, flavor, and texture, and add antioxidant goodness.
“As an agriculture company, we are hyper-focused on minimizing our impact on the environment and maximizing the benefits from each fruit in the pursuit of a zero-waste future,” said Jason Horvath, sales manager for POM Wonderful Specialty Ingredients. “We are proud to provide products that result in healthier food choices, while solving a climate need for waste reduction.”
Receiving Upcycled Certification reinforces POM Wonderful’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and continuous product innovation. Just last year, POM Wonderful transitioned all its 16oz bottles of POM Wonderful juices to 100% rPET (recycled plastic) and completed work on its solar farm, which provides more than 90% of the company’s electricity needs for its Del Rey, California processing facility. In 2020, POM Wonderful launched the Wonderful Innovation Challenge, offering $1 million in funding and development resources to innovators who could develop an economical and environmentally friendly solution to upcycle its 50,000 tons of pomegranate husks.
To date, we have invested more than $1 billion in environmental sustainability initiatives to help fight climate change. Learn more about these initiatives by visiting csr.wonderful.com/sustainability.
