A researcher from the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge is calling for the re-legalising of the use of food waste as pig feed in the European Union. Erasmus zu Ermgassen says that 1.8 million hectares of global agricultural land could be spared if food waste was used again for feeding pigs.

According to Ermgassen, food waste was banned for use in animal feed after the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in 2001. He said that in Japan and South Korea food waste is commonly used as a feed for pigs and consumers pay a premium for this pork because it is seen as having a low environmental impact.

"The governments in these countries tightly regulate the rendering process of the food waste and it is heat-treated until it is safe for animal consumption, they recycle 35.9% and 42.5% of their food waste respectively," explained Ermgassen.

In the UK a survey carried out on smallholder pig producers found that 24% are frequently breaking the ban and using uncooked food waste to feed their pigs, which is a huge safety concern. Ermgassen believes that the use of food waste should be legalised again and properly regulated to minimise the risk of uncooked food waste use in pig production.

"Farmers would benefit from improved profitability and meat quality wouldn’t be jeopardised," said Ermgassen.

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Researcher calls for re-legalising the use of food waste in animal feed

The use of food waste in animal feed in the EU would free up millions of hectares of land and reduce waste, the Bristol Global Farm Platform conference heard.