Recycling food waste into feed

The food processing industry in Europe could do more to maximise the value of waste and by-products. Transforming waste into valuable materials or a potential revenue source will reverse the negative impact on the environment and boost the overall competitiveness and sustainability of the sector. The growing opportunity to benefit from food waste depends on assessing its nutritional value while ensuring quality and safety.

To achieve this, the EU-funded project 'Sustainable production of functional and safe feed from food waste' (NOSHAN) has set out to use food waste as animal feed and feed additives in an economical and energy-friendly way.

During the first reporting period, researchers created a guide that contains an extensive collection of the main food waste and by-products in Europe. These food waste streams include fruit, vegetables, plants and dairy. Their suitability for feed production is based on nutritional and functional elements as well as on undesirable contaminants.

The team developed innovative methods to produce and remove specific feed additives from food waste. This will deliver a more economical and sustainable treatment method able to treat various waste sources and their combinations.

Several cutting-edge technologies are currently being designed, piloted and integrated into existing practices to produce safe, low-cost and nutritionally rich feed.

The tools and technologies being developed by NOSHAN for safe feed and additives are expected to have a direct socioeconomic and environmental impact on European society.