From Food To Feed

A Dutch company that produces animal feed from food waste says this is the only way in which agriculture can remain sustainable. Gerhard Uys spoke to Karel van der Velden from Nijsen/Granico.

- Karel Van Der Velden

Dutch company Nijsen/Granico produces about 90 000t of animal feed a year from discarded foodstuffs. According to the company’s business development manager, Karel van der Velden, using food waste to produce animal feed means fewer hectares of grain have to be planted to produce feed, and more can be planted to food grains that will ensure food sustainability.

Using food for feed is also the only way to drastically curb food waste and ensure agriculture’s long-term sustainability.

THE BEGINNING

Feed producer Jacques Nijsen started the initial company in 1938. In 1989, Granico, also a feed company, was bought.

 In the same year, Nijsen/Granico, based in Veulen in the Netherlands, began assessing whether former foodstuffs could be sustainably used as animal feed.

An initial investigation into using dough for feed was rejected, as it was too wet and sticky and needed to be processed into dry material. However, further investigation by the company’s nutritionist showed it was possible to make feed from food, and that recipes could be devised that would have a consistent final nutritional outcome.

A market analysis showed there would be enough supply to justify building a plant to process former foodstuffs.

In 2006, they completed their food-for-feed plant. The company now processes bread, dough, biscuits, pastry, toast, cookies, sweets, chocolate, marmalade, cakes, snacks and semi-finished foodstuffs into high-quality animal feed. They specialise in piglet feed.

SOURCE OF RAW MATERIALS

All the food taken for processing into animal feed is pre-consumer, which means it is sourced directly from food processors or bakeries that had rejected it. The products are primarily rejected for ‘optical reasons’.