Academics have Halloween licked with zero-waste pumpkin ice cream

Academics have Halloween licked with zero-waste pumpkin ice cream

Food innovation experts at Abertay University are tackling a Halloween food waste horror show by releasing a pumpkin ice cream recipe that uses every bit of the beast.

Academics from the Division of Food and Drink have created the frighteningly-tasty reduced-sugar treat 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 of the tasty frozen treat, which is rich in Vitamin A and around 40% less sugar than regular ice cream.

Lecturer Dr Jon Wilkin said: “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.

“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.”

60% of the pumpkin buying public bin the vegetable’s flesh after carving.

Expertise from Abertay’s Food researchers is highly sought after in the industry.

The University’s Food programmes are designed with practical work experience in mind, ensuring that students are equipped with the skills they need to step into the sector after graduation.

For more information on Abertay’s Food and Consumer Science course, visit: https://www.abertay.ac.uk/course-search/undergraduate/food-and-consumer-science/