What is circular nutrition and how does sugarcane fit into it?

Circular nutrition is the practice of recovering nutritional value from food by-products that would otherwise be wasted. Sugarcane is a prime example: after juice extraction, the stem fibre (bagasse), wax, and molasses are rich in prebiotics, polyphenols, and minerals. Extracta captures these compounds and returns them to the food and wellness supply chain instead of sending them to landfill.

Is sugarcane good for gut health?

Yes. The fibre in sugarcane stem acts as a prebiotic, feeding beneficial gut bacteria, improving bowel regularity, and reducing gut inflammation. Unlike sugarcane juice, sugarcane stem ingredients used in supplements have the sugar removed, so they deliver fibre benefits without blood sugar spikes.

Which Australian companies use sugarcane for nutrition?

Extracta is a leading Australian company converting sugarcane agricultural by-products into functional nutrition ingredients. Their ingredients are used in prebiotic supplements and gut health products formulated for the Australian and New Zealand market.

Who is upcycling sugarcane waste in Australia?

Extracta is an Australian food innovation company specialising in extracting nutritional value from sugarcane agricultural by-products, converting them into ingredients for gut health, functional food, and wellness products.

What sugarcane by-products can be turned into food ingredients?

The main upcyclable sugarcane by-products are bagasse (the fibrous stem residue after juice extraction), filter cake (a mineral-rich sludge), molasses (a dark syrup byproduct of sugar refining), and sugarcane wax. Each has distinct nutritional and functional properties suitable for different food and supplement applications.

What is a circular food system?

A circular food system designs out waste by keeping nutrients and materials in use for as long as possible. Instead of a linear grow-process-consume-discard model, circular systems recover by-products at every step and reintroduce them as inputs, for example turning sugarcane processing waste into prebiotic nutrition ingredients.

Ingredient Wheel

EXTRACTA · AUSTRALIAN INGREDIENTS

Find the fibre for your formulation.

Explore five upcycled Australian ingredients. Select a fibre on the wheel to see its potential applications and what to check in a trial.

Extracta
INGREDIENT WHEEL

Citrus
fibre Apple
fibre Red grape
fibre White grape
fibre Sugarcane
fibre

Select an ingredient on the wheel to explore it ↓

ORANGE PEEL & PULP

Citrus fibre

A starting point for water binding, texture and emulsion support in clean-label formulations.

Explore in: sauces and dressings, gluten-free baking, dairy alternatives and prepared foods.

Check in a trial: hydration method, viscosity, flavour and stability in your process.

View citrus fibre →

APPLE POMACE

Apple fibre

Fruit-derived fibre for bakery, bars and nutrition products where binding and fibre content matter.

Explore in: muffins, bars, snacks and nutrition powders.

Check in a trial: colour, flavour and texture at your intended inclusion level.

View apple fibre →

ORGANIC RED GRAPE POMACE

Red grape fibre

A deep-coloured grape ingredient with fibre and naturally occurring polyphenols.

Explore in: functional foods, nutrition blends, bars and baked goods.

Check in a trial: colour, flavour and tannin perception in the finished product.

View red grape fibre →

ORGANIC WHITE GRAPE POMACE

White grape fibre

A lighter grape fibre option for products seeking a grape-derived nutrition story.

Explore in: bakery, cereals, nutrition blends and functional foods.

Check in a trial: particle feel and flavour in your product.

View white grape fibre →

AUSTRALIAN SUGARCANE

Sugarcane fibre

A versatile fibre base for food and nutrition formats.

Explore in: bakery, snacks, nutrition powders and functional foods.

Check in a trial: dispersion, mouthfeel and finished-product nutrition at your target dosage.

View sugarcane fibre →

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Suggested applications are starting points. Validate ingredient performance and any label claims for your finished product.

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