EU animal feed sector urged to innovate as former foodstuff utilization stagnates

About five million tons of former foodstuffs are processed into animal feed in Europe annually. However, participants in a panel debate in Brussels last week questioned why this volume hasn't increased in the past decade. The former foodstuff processing industry's turnover reached over €1bn in 2020, according to EFFPA. The sector generates feed for farm animals from unavoidable and unintended food losses occurring at food manufacturing and retail level. Typical examples are bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, and confectionery, high energy ingredients for animal feed. Alexander Romme, president of the European Former Foodstuff Processors Association (EFFPA) and purchasing director at FeedValid, emphasized that these raw feed materials are sustainable. They prevent food waste, they have an exceptionally low carbon footprint, and are the very definition of circular products. Case studies from the Netherlands demonstrate that circular and sustainable feeding concepts​​ linking ...