UPP secures Grade A food safety certification

Upcycled Plant Power (UPP), the UK‑based sustainable ingredient technology company, has achieved Grade A certification against the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9 on its first audit, marking a significant milestone for the fast‑growing agri‑tech business.

The company has also secured Grade A Plant Based V1 certification from Eurofins, confirming the vegan nature and structural non‑GMO status of its ingredients. Together, the certifications position UPP as a compliant, audit‑ready supplier to major food manufacturers and retailers.

Achieving Grade A at first audit — a benchmark many established manufacturers take years to reach — demonstrates that UPP’s facility is operating with high levels of regulatory compliance, operational control, and hygiene from the outset.

This aligns with the company’s “regulatory‑first” strategy and accelerates its path to commercial scale.

The certified site, based at the UK Agri‑Tech Centre in Edgmond, Newport, Shropshire, houses UPP’s harvest‑to‑ingredient platform, capable of processing 2,500 tonnes of biomass annually into 1,000 tonnes of natural, clean‑label ingredients. The highly automated system can be run by just two people and forms the blueprint for UPP’s planned 10,000‑tonne modules, the first of which will be deployed in Scotland in 2027.

Founded in 2022, UPP converts underused brassica biomass — including broccoli stems and stalks — into specification‑grade protein and fibre ingredients for major food producers. Its process combines patent‑protected harvest automation with side‑stream processing, enabling farmers and manufacturers to extract more value from each crop.

BRCGS certification, recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), is widely regarded as a baseline requirement for supplying large manufacturers and retailers. UPP chose to pursue BRCGS Food Safety directly, rather than first obtaining ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000, due to its stronger retailer recognition.

The new certification sits alongside UPP’s existing ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and Sedex membership, strengthening its credentials with procurement teams and technical buyers.

Mark Evans, CEO at UPP, said: “We chose doing natural ingredients right over novel science. Our Grade A certification at first audit reflects designing food safety and standards into the operating template from day one, which in turn gave us credibility with Tier 1 food producers and supermarkets. In this case doing it right allows you to go faster.”

Evans added that achieving the suite of clearances required by the food industry — BRCGS plus Sedex — demonstrates UPP’s systems thinking, customer alignment, and execution focus.