Del Monte Foods Inc. has released the industry's first canned vegetable product to be Upcycled Certified by the Upcycled Food Association, the world's only third-party certification program for upcycled food ingredients and products. 

Del Monte® Blue Lake® Petite Cut and Blue Lake® Farmhouse Cut Green Beans are made with 100% upcycled and sustainably grown green beans from Wisconsin and Illinois.

Through its Upcycled Certified Green Bean products, Del Monte re-directed approximately 600,000 pounds of surplus green beans last year, helping to provide healthy and affordable food, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Del Monte will continue to identify opportunities to expand its upcycling efforts across its portfolio of brands.

"Some of our most exciting Upcycled Certified products are from Del Monte Foods -- because they are so recognizable by the average consumer," said Turner Wyatt, CEO and co-founder of the Upcycled Food Association. "When people hear the term 'upcycled,' they often think the product is going to be something they have never tried before. Nope. These are the green beans we have been eating our whole lives. The only difference is that by choosing the Upcycled Certified ones, consumers are actively preventing food waste."

As a part of Del Monte's mission to nourish families with earth's goodness, the company has been partnering with Feeding America since 2010 to package upcycled green beans, peaches and pears. As a result, approximately 350,000 cases of food per year are delivered to communities in need.