Almond Hulls Find New Purpose in Food Innovation

Most people see almonds as a healthy snack, but half of every almond is the hull, the outer layer traditionally used in dairy feed. With a smaller dairy herd and hulls being traded below production cost, the Almond Board of California is looking for new ways to add value to this resource.

Formed in 2017, the Board’s Biomass Working Group is exploring how hulls can become food ingredients. Chairman Michael Kelley said, “This biomass working group is where business meets science.”

Almond hulls are rich in fiber, natural sugars, and minerals. To explore their potential, the Board partnered with product innovation firm Mattson to develop sample foods including a high-fiber bar, roasted-hull coffee, and bread enriched with hull powder.

Adding just 10 percent hull powder can qualify foods for an “upcycled” claim, which has been gaining traction with waste-conscious consumers.

Almond Board Associate Director of Food Research and Technology Guangwei Huang said, “We are about to begin a new journey to generate more revenue from almond hulls.”

Several companies in the almond industry are already investing in hull-cleaning systems to prepare for food-safe approval.