Krispy Kreme Japan embraces ‘mottainai’ to turn fruit waste into new doughnuts

Krispy Kreme Dole

Krispy Kreme Japan and the fruit company Dole are set to launch donuts made from fruit that would normally be thrown away.

This collaboration has resulted in a pair of “Mottainai Doughnuts” that will be sold at Krispy Kreme stores in Japan for a limited-time this summer.

These innovative donuts will be made using “Mottainai Fruit”, fruits that would normally be discarded due to various factors.

mottainai fruits
Mottainai Fruits are fruits that cannot be sold normally

This partnership is an extension of Dole’s “Mottainai Fruits Project” which is an initiative that rescues fruits that cannot be sold normally but are still perfectly edible as part of their effort to reduce food waste.

The term “mottainai” is a Japanese concept conveying a sense of regret concerning waste and a desire to make good use of resources.

This philosophy is at the core of Dole’s project, which began in September 2021 with “Mottainai Bananas” and has since expanded to include other fruits.

Currently, over 60 companies participate in this project, repurposing “mottainai fruits” into various food products, including beverages, ice cream and sweets.

For a limited-time, Krispy Kreme will sell two new doughnut flavors: “Chocolate Banana” and “Old Fashioned Pineapple.”

Chocolate Banana Donut

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Price – 356 yen takeaway / 363 yen eat-in

This new donut features a naturally sweet banana cream-filled dough, coated with bitter chocolate, and topped with banana chips.

It utilizes Dole’s “Mottainai Bananas” which would otherwise have been discarded due to minor imperfections.

Old Fashioned Pineapple Donut

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Price – 334 yen takeaway / 341 yen eat-in

This donut incorporates pineapple pulp into its old-fashioned style dough.

It is finished with a pineapple juice-infused sauce, white chocolate, and powdered sugar.

This doughnut creatively repurposes Dole’s “Mottainai Pineapple” which is made from pineapple scraps that would otherwise go to waste.

Krispy Kreme Pac Man Shibuya
The new donuts will be sold at Krispy Kreme stores around Japan

Both donuts will be available at all Krispy Kreme stores in Japan starting from June 4th until mid-July.

Krispy Kreme will also be offering these donuts for sale in “Mottainai Fruit Dozen Half (6 pieces)” and “Mottainai Fruit Box (3 pieces)” sets from June 18th combining these new flavors with classic Krispy Kreme offerings.

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Both new donuts will be available as part of a 6 pack box

As well as the new doughnuts, a special three-day “UP-cycle NIGHT” event will be held at the Krispy Kreme Tokyo International Forum store between Friday, June 6th and Sunday, June 8th.

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The new donuts can also be bought as part of a 3 pack box

This event is a collaboration between Krispy Kreme Japan, Dole and Ethical Spirits Inc., a company that using unused or waste materials (such as sake lees) to distill gin.

“UP-cycle NIGHT” will offer a multi-sensory experience centered on food “upcycling”, where discarded materials are transformed into high quality food and drink.

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The “UP-cycle NIGHT” events will be held twice per day

The activities at the “UP-cycle NIGHT” event will include:

  • Tasting the new Dole x Krispy Kreme collaboration donuts made with “Mottainai Fruit”.
  • Sampling “residue tea”, a new creation by Krispy Kreme Japan that upcycles distillation residue from Ethical Spirits to create tea.
  • Enjoying “donut-friendly cocktails” developed by Ethical Spirits and made using Dole’s “Mottainai Fruit”. (Note: As some cocktails may contain alcohol, participation is limited to those aged 20 and over).

There will be two sessions daily, from 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM JST, with a maximum of 15 participants per session.

Ten slots will be allocated via a lottery for Krispy Kreme APP and Spirits Mate members, while five slots will be available for on-the-day participation via numbered tickets distributed from 3:00 PM at the Krispy Kreme Tokyo International Forum store.

Source: Official Website

© Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Japan Inc., Dole Co., Ltd.

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