SUSTAINABILITY 62 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE February 2025 “In the European feed industry, the use of ‘circular feed’ is identified as a key performance indicator for the industry's commitment to sustainability. By ensuring that residual materials are reintegrated into the food chain rather than discarded as waste, circular feed practices promote a more sustainable and efficient system, enhancing the overall circularity of food production.” Former foodstuffs are foodstuffs that were manufactured for human consumption in full compliance with the EU food law but which are no longer intended for human consumption for practical or logistical reasons or due to problems of manufacturing or packaging defects or other defects and which do not present any health risks when used as feed. Former foodstuff processing is a well-established business in the agri-food chain, with a production of approximately 5 million tonnes in Europe. Former foodstuff processors are essentially feed ingredient manufacturers, with the ability to produce a stable product all-year round that can serve the sustainability ambitions of compound feed manufacturers as regards carbon emissions reductions and increased circularity. FORMER FOODSTUFFS AND ANIMAL NUTRITION It is a reality that not all processed food reaches consumers. At the food manufacturing level, a portion is redirected to other channels due to production errors, such as being broken, misshaped, improperly flavored, or mislabeled. While these “former foodstuffs” may no longer hold commercial value in the market for human consumption, thanks to former foodstuff processors they still retain a high nutritional value for animal feed purposes. There are many examples of former foodstuffs used in animal feed, such as bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, confectionery, chocolate, pasta, yoghurts and syrups. They typically represent an excellent source of energy, being rich in sugar, starch, oils, and fats. In animal nutrition formulation, processed former foodstuffs serve as an effective alternative to cereal grains like wheat, maize, or barley. Additionally, the processed former food products largely consist of products that have undergone a baking process. Because of this baking process, the starch is gelatinized, making the products very suitable for young animals. Processed former foodstuffs are a useful ingredient to meet the nutritional requirements in basically all farm animal diets. In Europe it’s traditionally used in pig and ruminant nutrition, however increasingly the poultry sector is taking an interest, while also in pet food there are applications. The study Former Foodstuffs Processing: CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD & FEED PRODUCTION Alexander Romme President European Former Foodstuff Processors Association (EFFPA)
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