August 16, 2024

Australia's Food Recycle eyes $3 million for technology that can turn food waste into animal feed

Australian company Food Recycle is seeking $3 million to develop technology that converts commercial food waste into animal feed, reducing waste in landfills and greenhouse gas emissions.

Following successful testing using layer hens, prawns, barramundi, and aquaponics, the company intends to commercialise and scale up the technology throughout Australia and New Zealand.

"The funds raised will be put towards facility mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and systems design, to allow for the first commercial-scale production facility to be built under the Food Recycle patented technology and know-how agreement," said Food Recycle chief executive officer Norm Boyle.

The licensee will be necessary for constructing at least 25 production facilities over 10 years, with Food Recycle expecting 12 of these in the first five years, according to Boyle.

According to the company, Food Recycle collects food waste from a variety of sources, including restaurants, abattoirs, farms, and processors. Each food waste stream is treated, evaluated, and kept separately as an ingredient.

Two tonnes of food waste can produce one tonne of complete feed suitable for poultry, pigs, and aquaculture. Apart from avoiding methane production, Food Recycle's food waste processing eliminates biosecurity risks at no additional expense.

"We wanted to get the science exactly right before scaling up, and we've got the data to showcase the technology's success using an evidence-based approach," Boyle said.

- Inside FMCG