European food waste initiative will help pharma industry

A new Europe-wide food sector initiative to reduce food wastage will aim to boost the flow of waste oils, fats and proteins to the European pharmaceutical industry.

FoodDrinkEurope, a European food sector umbrella group, and 15 other EU food sector associations have co-signed an ‘Every Crumb Counts’ declaration against food waste, which aims to halve EU edible food wastage by 2020.

The declaration calls on the food industry and regulators to ‘consider how would-be food wastage that is not fit or cannot feasibly make it to human consumption can be converted into valuable commodities, such as…industrial products’.

Pharmaceuticals, along with cosmetics, plastics and detergents would be a second priority destination for such waste after using it as animal feed. The declaration urges food companies to work with national regulators to develop guidelines on how to use ‘food that has been withdrawn (e.g. for quality reasons) but is still safe and suitable for use’.

It adds: ‘Using would-be food wastage…for another industry…generates mutual value by creating cost savings and new revenue.’

The declaration insists that food waste needs better care so that it is more likely that ‘food wastage can be prevented, used or redirected to industrial use’.