The two bespoke gelato flavours — cauliflower-vanilla bean and pumpkin-ginger bread — are harmonious savoury-meets-sweet flavour combinations.
With one serve of vegies in every two scoops, the gelatos are not only delicious but highly nutritious.
The offering was developed through not-for-profit research and development corporation Hort Innovation, in partnership with a grower-owned vegetable waste company Nutri-V, and unveiled at Hort Connections on June 5 to 7.
The pumpkin and cauliflower that would be otherwise lost to the supply chain are transformed into a nutritious powder that can be added to a range of meals and drinks, and even ice-cream.
Hort Innovation chief executive officer Brett Fifield said finding innovative ways to reduce food waste while also encouraging consumers to eat more fruits, vegetables and nuts was an increasing industry priority.
“Research shows that 96 per cent of the population do not eat the recommended amount of vegetables each day — which is five to six serves,” he said.
“Ice-cream is a popular dessert, why not get a health boost through it?
“Less than one per cent of hard vegetables, such as pumpkin and cauliflower, are consumed as desserts — maybe this is an untapped market.”
Raquel Said from the grower-led initiative said the Nutri-V powders were born from a farming business with a passion for innovation and sustainability.
“Part of growing vegies can involve ending up with tonnes that do not meet retail specification or there is an oversupply or excess stalks and leaves, yet it is all still perfectly nutritious,” she said.
“We upcycle that waste into a sustainable yet delicious solution. This ice-cream features vegetables reimagined.
“It is the future of helping Australians top up their vegie consumption while supporting farmers to reduce waste.”
The ice-cream builds on previous work undertaken between Hort Innovation, Nutri-V and CSIRO that developed the innovative vegetable powders.
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