Aussie start-up Paws-Off creates healthy dog food from waste sweet potatoes

Robert Stockdill

Robert Stockdill

Paws-Off

An Australian start-up Paws-Off is using sweet potatoes diverted from landfill to create safe, healthy food for dogs, with two of its three lines entirely plant-based. 

Based on the NSW Central Coast, Paws-Off is initially selling its dog food only online although, with the growing awareness and demand from around Australia, the products could likely soon find their way into stores.

The repurposing of upcycled foods has been a growing trend in the US for the past few years, says Paws-Off founder Ellen Vegter. 

“There, they are continuing to grow and raise awareness about food waste and how to reduce it. But there is not a lot of awareness and use of Upcycled Food in Australia – yet.

“Although I’m sure there are businesses in Australia that use some sort of upcycled food, until now, no one really positioned a [dog food] brand in the Australian market using upcycled food.” 

Paws-Off’s products comprise 30 per cent sweet potato, which Vegter says are safe and healthy for dogs, offering a range of health benefits and having a sweet flavour that dogs love. “Sweet potatoes support a healthy digestive system thanks to their high dietary content.”

Only one product contains meat – with a beef flavour. The others are Banana and Peanut Butter.

“Our mission is to challenge the big brands by introducing a really sustainable dog treat. We want to show the market that it’s possible to make a positive difference and fight food waste,” says Vegter. 

“It’s going to be very small steps, but we want our dog treats to help create more awareness about Upcycled Food and how we can reduce food waste.”

She says the company only uses 100 per cent natural and human-grade ingredients in its products. “We’re making sure that the products we create are not only tasty and safe, but also good for your dog.”

The sweet potatoes Paws-Off uses are sourced from Queensland, from a waste stream of vegetables considered unsalable on the retail market. Using a natural, organic process, the potatoes are converted into a powder. 

Robert Stockdill

Robert Stockdill

Robert Stockdill is a content writer with more than 30 years of experience in five countries. His style has built upon award-winning success in news and features in the print media to leadership in digital communication, spanning news websites, social media, magazines, brochures, and contributing to books. Recognising the devastating impact of consumer behaviour on the planet and wanting to help make a difference Robert launched Viable.Earth as a platform to celebrate positive contributions by brands, companies and individuals towards reducing environmental impact and improve sustainability – especially in the fields of fashion, beauty, food, lifestyle, and transportation.

Comment

Subscribe – it's free