NEWS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2022 95 In the context of the 3rd FAO International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September 2022, European Former Foodstuff Processors Association (EFFPA) published new videos, in 7 languages, to explain former foodstuff processing. In this process, food losses emerging at food manufacturer and retail level are processed to be used as feed ingredients for food-producing animals. Examples of former foodstuffs are bread, biscuits, breakfast cereals, pasta and confectionery. The videos demonstrate the contribution the former foodstuffs processing sector makes to prevent food waste from occurring by giving food losses a purpose as feed for animals, who produce animal products such as meat, milk and eggs. As the videos highlight, food manufacturers and retailers will always first consider food donation possibilities. Also, former foodstuff processors do not process any food losses that contain meat or fish. Each year, EFFPA estimates that 5 million tons of former foodstuffs are used for animal feed in Europe. “The video underlines that the feed produced by former foodstuff processors from food losses is very sustainable and perfectly suitable for carbon emissions reduction strategies for animal products. Former foodstuff processing is in the heart of the circular food economy and ensures nutrient use in the food chain is optimised. The estimated 5 million tons processed every year in Europe are a concrete contribution toward sustainable food systems and a circular bioeconomy in Europe,” EFFPA said in a statement. EFFPA: Former foodstuff processing contributes to tackle food waste Compassion in World Farming welcomed the introduction of basic welfare standards for farmed fish by two international certification schemes – The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Friends of the Sea – as “an important step forward”. One of the world’s leading seafood certification schemes – The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) – has announced new welfare standards, including humane slaughter standards for fish, which results in a ban on the use of ice slurry – a cruel slaughter method that leaves fish fighting for their lives as ice gets lodged in their gills. This follows an announcement by the certification scheme Friends of the Sea last year, that they were to become the first and only scheme to introduce species-specific welfare standards to improve fish rearing, slaughter, transport, handling and welfare training. Worldwide, approximately 700,000 metric tons of seafood is certified by Friends of The Sea and 688,138 metric tons is certified by ASC. This is the equivalent of hundreds of millions of aquatic animals each year. While these moves are welcomed by Compassion, the farm animal welfare and environmental non-profit has warned that much more needs to be done to improve the lives of fish that suffer silently in underwater factory farms. Other welfare issues include overcrowding and starvation, lack of enrichment, and poor water quality. For example, withholding food can be partially beneficial for fish as clearing the gut before transport means that there is less waste excreted into the water while fish are transported. However, some fish may be starved for more than two weeks, when no more than two or three days are normally needed to empty the gut. Compassion in World Farming welcomes first fish certification welfare standards
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