News Business & Policy JetBlue's In-Flight Snack Bar Edges Are Turned Into Tasty Granola Snacks An unusual partnership fights food waste by upcycling scraps. By Katherine Martinko Katherine Martinko Senior Editor University of Toronto Katherine Martinko is an expert in sustainable living. She holds a degree in English Literature and History from the University of Toronto. Learn about our editorial process Updated June 1, 2021 12:39PM EDT Fact checked by Haley Mast Fact checked by Haley Mast Harvard University Extension School Haley Mast is a freelance writer, fact-checker, and small organic farmer in the Columbia River Gorge. She enjoys gardening, reporting on environmental topics, and spending her time outside snowboarding or foraging. Topics of expertise and interest include agriculture, conservation, ecology, and climate science. Learn about our fact checking process From baking scraps to a tasty snap, Edge'nola makes use of snack bar offcuts. 88 Acres x Misfits Market News Environment Business & Policy Science Animals Home & Design Current Events Treehugger Voices News Archive If you have taken a JetBlue flight at some point in the past year, you may have snacked on a delicious seed-and-oat bar made by 88 Acres bakery in Boston. These crunchy, cinnamon-flavored thins are one of the free in-flight snack options and a favorite with travelers. When they are made, the edges get cut off to ensure a clean line. This creates waste that 88 Acres' founders couldn't stomach. As a "zero food waste" bakery, it had to come up with a way to repurpose these scraps—and that's how Cinnamon Maple Edge'nola was born. Not quite a seed bar, not quite granola, Edge'nola is a perfect snack for any time of day, packed full of pumpkin, sunflower, and flax seeds. It's made in a facility that's free from peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, and sesame. Nicole Ledoux, co-founder and CEO of 88 Acres, commented on the new product launch: "As a food company, we believe it is our responsibility when creating products to keep sustainability at the forefront. As with all of our Seed+Oat Bars, baking millions of Seed+Oat Bar Thins for the JetBlue community leaves thousands of pounds of edge pieces behind. We didn’t want our crispy Edge’nola to go to waste, so we partnered with food waste-fighting online grocer Misfits Market to give it a good home. We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership." Misfits Market is a logical retail partner for this upcycled snack. Its own mission is to divert food from going to waste by taking food that conventional grocery stores have rejected and redirecting it to willing customers. It describes its food as having superficial differences, out-of-date packaging, and being too big, too small, or just a little offbeat. "Bringing this product to market with 88 Acres is proof that food brands can have a positive impact when we team up on creative solutions to food waste," said Daniel Litwin, vice-president of procurement for Misfits Market. With an estimated 40% of food waste happening in retail locations and private homes, it's more important than ever for grocers to prioritize the sale of otherwise undesirable ingredients, and for shoppers to be willing to buy (and eat) these. An allergy-friendly bakery, 88 Acres is known for its use of seeds as a source of protein and texture in baked goods. Seeds require 20 to 90 times less water to grow than nuts, making them more environmentally friendly. The new Edge'nola is kosher, vegan, and certified by the Non-GMO Project and the Gluten-Free Organization. You can order it online.