Trade body calls for EU food waste clarification

European Union (EU) policymakers must clarify regulatory framework for reprocessing former foodstuff (food no longer suitable for human consumption) in the upcoming circular economy package, according to the European Former Foodstuff Processors Association (EFFPA).

Speaking ahead of a European Commission event at the Milan Expo today (15 October), which will explore measures to hasten food waste reduction across the EU, the trade association has called for clarification that foodstuffs are by-products and therefore should not be considered ‘legal wastes’.

It stated that former foodstuffs are currently defined as neither a food nor a feed according to EU legislation, which requires national authorities to interpret the resource as a ‘by-product’ rather than waste, leaving, it says, ‘a sphere of legal uncertainty for both food manufacturers and former foodstuff processors as environmental authorities can act within their own competence and cause unnecessary disruptions’.

The trade body said that the challenge for the circular economy package, which will be released on 2 December, is to create a regulatory framework that prevents food losses eligible for animal feed from becoming a ‘waste’ in legal terms.

EFFPA

The EFFPA was founded in 2014 and works to promote the position of the former foodstuff processing industry in the food and feed chain. It currently represents national associations from the UK, Netherlands, Germany and France as well as companies in Belgium, Italy, Spain and Greece.

The body claims to already prevent an estimated 3.5 million tonnes of food chain losses from going to waste by processing foodstuffs no longer suitable for humans into feed for food-producing animals. This generated an estimated turnover for the European former foodstuff industry of over €1 billion (£738 million) in 2014.

According to the trade association, the most common sources of former foodstuffs are broken biscuits and chocolates, surplus bread, incorrectly flavoured crisps and breakfast cereals. Surpluses from seasonal activities such as sports events, Easter and Christmas are also used by the EFFPA’s members, though it says that all items suitable for food bank donation are removed before it is turned into feed.

Currently, former foodstuffs must be in full compliance with EU feed safety requirements as well as the EC’s General Food Law Regulation’s demands on traceability before they can be reprocessed and put on the market as feed.

Former foodstuffs in animal feed ‘should unambiguously be encouraged’

EFFPA President Paul Featherstone: “It is clear that the safe use of former foodstuffs in animal feed contributes to a more sustainable food chain and should unambiguously be encouraged. Our innovation-driven, non-subsidised industry could still double in production within the EU with the right regulatory guidance.

“It may surprise people, but energy-rich former foodstuffs like biscuits, chocolates and confectionary are highly valued resources in animal feed manufacturing. In fact, our end-product can be used as an alternative to cereal grains, thereby reducing the dependence on land-requiring raw materials, and thus the environmental footprint of foodstuffs of animal origin.”

Milano Expo 2015

As part of the conference today, the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact will be signed by 100 mayors from cities around the world. By signing the pact, the mayors will pledge to make urban food policies more equitable and sustainable by educating the public about healthy eating, reducing food waste and ‘guaranteeing healthy food for all’.

Tomorrow (16 October) the Expo will be holding a World Food Day, organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The event, attended by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, revolves around the theme ‘Social protection and Agriculture: breaking the cycle of rural poverty’. The international expo as a whole, which runs from 1 May to 31 October, has held the theme of ‘Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life’.

Find out more about the European Former Foodstuff Processors Association or the Milano Expo 2015