July/August 2021 - 15

FOOD WASTE
Mark Dieffenbach, who founded the
company in 1964, recognized early on
that less-than-desirable produce was
not just a waste of edible produce, but
a hardship for the farmer who grew it.
There were plenty of times we would
receive potatoes that were less than
perfect. They were still useful potatoes
but had cosmetic imperfections that the
grading standards would deem ugly, "
Santoro said. " Instead of throwing them
away, we instead used them to make
chips that were sold only in our onproperty
factory store.
" Our local customers loved them, so
we started introducing the concept at
regional shows here in Pennsylvania. "
The concept so resonated with local
buyers, Diffenbach's started a brand that
consists solely of imperfect potatoes,
which they sagely named Uglies. It
launched in 2017. The first full year
of production, Uglies processed about
680,000 pounds of potatoes. This year,
they'll surpass five million pounds in all.
The standard 6-ounce bags are sold in
regional and national supermarket chains,
SUSTAINABILITY
consumers recognizing the role " ugly, "
yet edible produce plays in global waste,
Santoro said.
" The upcycled food movement isn't
going anywhere. In fact,
it is only
 Uglies potato chips utilizes below-standard grade
potatoes to create a line of snacks that strikes a
chord with consumers' growing concerns about
food waste. Photo: Dieffenbach's
while smaller 1- and 2-ounce sizes are
generally sold to the foodservice sector.
The processing system for Uglies is
largely the same as for Diffenbach's
standard brand. The major difference
is the threshold for the optical sorting
machines. Uglies, obviously, has
much looser sorting parameters than
the other brands. Santoro said even
potatoes deemed too ugly for Uglies still
do not go to waste, they're distributed
to local farmers to use as animal feed.
Uglies is an example of more
gaining traction, " Santoro said. " More
than ever before, consumers are aware
of the impacts of food production.
Brands, businesses and manufacturers
are under extreme pressure to reevaluate
their environmental impact.
We believe Uglies is ahead of the curve. "
Outreach also is a big part of
Uglies' model. Last spring, when
COVID restrictions went into place
and processors began turning away
potatoes, Uglies sponsored a " Great
Potato Giveaway, " which saved 40,000
pounds of potatoes from going to waste.
" We believe we're succeeding in
giving the consumer what they want,
and a brand they can feel good about
purchasing, from helping farmers by
saving potatoes to donating 10% of our
sales to an international organization
that helps underprivileged children, "
Santoro said.
We Specialize in Design, Engineering, and Custom
Equipment Fabrication for the Produce Processing Industry
Successfully serving the
fresh-cut industry
since 1982
* New Facility Design
* Repack and Splits Lines
* 2oz. Pack Lines for Schools
* Continuous Improvement Programs
* Custom Equipment Fabrication
* Conveyors, tote carts
* New Facility Design
* Grab and Go Lines
Brian Hill
(847) 922-8671
bhill@palconsystems.com
www.palconsystems.com
PRODUCE PROCESS ING
15
http://www.palconsystems.com
July/August 2021

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