Sunt earns a crust from world’s most discarded fruit

By Wesley Klop

So many bananas end up in landfills, even though there is often nothing wrong with the fruit at all. They just don’t meet the cosmetic standards of the supermarket. And even if they have the right shape, things can still go amiss. This is because bananas that have already begun their ripening process are not allowed into Europe. Which means that about three percent of imported bananas do not get through customs. That accounts for about 120,000 tonnes of such rejected fruit each year. Start-up Sunt sees potential in this. Banana bread to be exact. Aside from this product, the company also makes donuts and granola from rejected bananas. In this instalment of start-up-of-the-day, Thomas Reitsma of Sunt talks to us about food waste and the newly-opened banana factory in the Netherlands.

How did Sunt get started?

“Sunt was set up in 2018. That’s when our founder, Laura Hoogland, learned that huge amounts of bananas were being thrown away. She then started collecting fruit from local business owners so she could bake banana bread at home. She then went back to the supermarkets with these. It all went pretty fast after that. We’re even at Albert Heijn now. Our mission is to save bananas from being destroyed unnecessarily. We do that by taking the rejected bananas from banana importers at the ports. We then process these into banana puree. By doing this, we not only prevent waste, we also offer these importers a way to cut down on costs which they can then pass on throughout the chain. The discarded bananas still end up in the supermarket that way, just in a different form.”

Where do you get the bananas from?

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What was it like to enter the banana industry as a newcomer?

“It is quite difficult if you are unfamiliar with the chain. That’s why we focused mainly on acquiring knowledge in the beginning. We also went to a lot of trade fairs and meetings over the past year. At the beginning, banana importers didn’t want to talk about how much waste they were throwing away. Only when they saw our business plan did the conversations get going. They realized that their waste is actually worth something. Since then, we have started working with parties throughout the chain.”

Was it difficult to develop these products?

“We have to innovate in a rather traditional industry – the bakery industry. That’s quite difficult. First of all, you have to look at what the trends are. What is going on now and what do people find important? At the same time, you also have to consider the cost of raw materials. We want to put high-grade products on the market, but also make the idea of combatting food waste more attractive. So it has to remain affordable. This is something we have to balance. It was also a challenge to find someone who wanted to bake our banana bread. A lot of manufacturers turned us down. Use dates instead of sugar? No butter? Gluten-free? They often found ideas like that problematic. Finally, our products often call for new processes. For example, we bake our donuts instead of deep-frying them. That had never been done on such a large scale before.”

Was it difficult to secure investments?

“Since the launch, we have managed to raise €1.2 million in funding. It wasn’t difficult. We had plenty of choice in that regard. Nonetheless, smart money is what’s really important to us. Therefore, we not only looked at the highest bidder, but especially at their knowledge, network and growth potential. For example, we chose Brave New Food Investments. Which in addition to money also has a large network we can access. Moreover, they have plenty of relevant practical experience where scaling up is concerned.”

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What makes your product better than what is already on the market?

“Our products appeal to a broad public. From students who want to score a quick breakfast before their lecture to families looking for a healthy snack to go with their coffee. We make food products for the today’s generation and the generation of the future. A generation that has long ignored the bakery range and needs and wants food that is not only delicious but also socially responsible and sustainable. This is how we try to set ourselves apart. The same goes for our banana puree. By choosing our no waste banana puree, customers choose a product that has a story.”

You recently opened your own banana factory. What will this mean for Sunt?

“For a long time, our banana puree came from Ecuador. Made from the bananas that had already been rejected when they were harvested. This is a more sustainable solution than conventional banana puree. With our banana factory, we are tackling wastage closer to home. Apart from becoming a supplier of our own main raw material, we can offer it as a raw material to third parties, such as beverage and ice cream producers.”

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What is the ultimate goal of Sunt?

“Our mission is to combat food waste, specifically of bananas. Instead of just looking at how to prevent this wastage, we also want to take a leading role when it comes to reinventing the chain. In part by getting laws and regulations concerning this amended. Our ultimate goal is that no more bananas should be grown only to end up in puree after a faraway journey. That means having banana factories in strategically favorable locations that process these residual streams.”