The scariest thing about Halloween is the amount of food that’s waste, but now food innovation experts are release an ice cream recipe that uses every part on the pumpkin to cut down on food waste.
Academics from the Division of Food and Drink at Abertay University in Dundee, Scotland have created the reduced-sugar recipe with a view to salvaging some of the tonnes of waste created in the UK each Halloween, when we bin around 8 million perfectly palatable pumpkins, according to the #PumpkinRescue campaign.
It is hoped consumers will have a stab at creating their own version, which, the researchers say, is rich in Vitamin A and boasts around 40% less sugar than regular ice cream.
“This type of food innovation is an important strand of our research at Abertay, where we have a strong focus on finding novel ways to repurpose and reuse waste items,” said Lecturer Dr Jon Wilkin.
“We’ve used every edible part of the pumpkin to create this ice cream, including the seeds, which we’ve roasted and used as a chopped nut substitute.
“While this is perhaps more on the unusual side there are plenty of ways to make the most out of your Halloween pumpkin, for example soup or risotto.
“We’re looking to highlight that there are simple and sometimes creative ways to reduce food waste in general.”
