An Overview of Food Waste and Its Conversion Technology Into Animal Feeds

Abstract

Abstract Food waste has been a global concern for the human population for a long time and it has hampered food security and environmental sustainability a lot. Food waste is any food or its unconsumable part that is discarded from the supply chain. Existing literature highlighted well the viability of using food waste in animal feeds and the safety and logistical issues that may arise. With the advancements in recent food technology and research, it’s now possible to convert food waste into valuable products that work as feed for animals. Generally, three different technologies wet based, dry based and fermentation-based are in use for the conversion of food waste into animal feed without compromising its nutritional values. Different value-added products have directly been extracted from food wastes using these technologies, from flavonoids to essential oils, and reused in various foods such as fruit juices as a flavouring agent. Amongst them, cheese whey is the most researched by-product and serves as an appropriate example of waste valorization. This review extensively emphasizes different food wastes based on their sources and the use of the latest technologies for their conversion to animal feed. The study also suggests different measures for reducing food waste while maintaining animal development and health along with environmental sustainability.