USDA and Cooperators Continued to Lead Discussion and Public Attention to Reduction and Repurposing of Food Waste in Asia at 2nd IFPRUFW in Xiamen, China

XIAMEN, China, Dec. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2^nd International Forum of Prevention, Reduction and Utilization of Food Waste (IFPRUFW) was held in Xiamen Renaissance Hotel in Xiamen, China on Dec. 3-4, 2024, to showcase international progress in reutilization of food waste. US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Trade Office (USDA-ATO) in Guangzhou first launched the forum to focus on this topic in 2023 in Guangzhou and continued to lead discussions on this issue in south China. Various universities participated in the forum and shared the latest technology in processing a wide variety of co-products from meats, poultry, fishery, bakery, brewery, dairy, candy, chocolate and fruit to produce high-quality animal food ingredients and success in repurposing food co-products.

JonAnn Flemings - Director of USDA-ATO in Guangzhou, opened the forum and overviewed various environmental issues related to food loss and waste (FLW) in the US and worldwide. She suggested that proper reutilization of food waste would mitigate environmental burdens, increase economic revenue and reduce poverty. She reinforced that reduction and reutilization of food waste are common priorities for both the United States and China, highlighting work by the local government in Xiamen to identify sustainable food waste solutions. Jean Buzby, USDA FLW Liaison, introduced Sustainable Development Goals adopted by United Nations General Assembly in 2015 and a series of measures the US government is taking to reduce FLW, including Federal interagency collaboration across USDA, EPA, FDA and USAID, as well as public-private partnerships such as US FLW 2030 Champions. Buzby also elaborated on the <National Strategy For Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics> recently released by White House, aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions (including methane), saving money for both households and businesses, as well as building cleaner communities by reducing FLW. She also outlined USDA's efforts to address the FLW issue including program funding, research, outreach and regulatory guidance. She briefly introduced various federal and state programs targeting FLW issues and exploring solutions, including Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, Farm to Food Bank Projects, Community Food Projects, Rural Energy for America Program, Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program, Compositing, Food Waste Reduction Pilot Program, USDA-ARS's National Program on Product Quality and New Uses, USDA-NIFA's Small Business Innovation Research Program and other programs.

By reprocessing by-products from meat packers and poultry processors as well as waste from food stores and restaurants to produce animal food ingredients and feedstock for biofuels and oleochemicals, rendering industry in the US and other countries has been one of the earliest, and the most important sectors of food waste reduction alliance for over a century. Presentations of Tyson Ingredient Solutions, Darling Ingredients, and APC at the forum, showcased the critical roles of packer renderers, independent renderers, and blood processors in reducing food waste, as well as the role of used cooking oil (UCO) refiners and renderers processing diverse animal species in waste reutilization. The modern rendering technology empowered by automation and precise control in US and other countries have maximized product efficacy with energy efficiency, although optimized applications in various downstream industries including animal nutrition and biofuels, are still in progress.

Chunxiao Zhang - Dean of College of Aquaculture, Jimei University and China's most renowned scientist specialized in bullfrog farming technology, reviewed his 20-year research on bullfrog nutrition and feed manufacture technology for bullfrog at all developmental stages. Based on scientifically balancing nutrients in rendered animal proteins and fats made in the US with local starch ingredients, current bullfrog feeds in China do not require any ingredients derived from fishes or marine organisms captured from natural environment, while remain desirable efficiency in growth performance and feed conversion. Zhang also shared the story of bullfrog waste recycling, including collection of inedible raw material from bullfrog restaurants as well as further processing of those "waste" into products for human consumption, pet foods and pharmaceutical applications, such as liver pâté, collagen peptide, pigment products, bullfrog by product meal and oil.

Yi Hu - Professor of aquafeed and deputy dean of College of Aquaculture, Hunan Agricultural University, introduced progresses of utilizing rendered proteins, including meat and bone meal, poultry by-product meal, feather meal, dried porcine soluble and inedible egg product in sub-tropical aquaculture of high-value, freshwater carnivorous species. Houguo Xu – research professor of Yellowsea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, overviewed lipid nutrition of cultured marine fishes and progress in optimized utilization of rendered fats in feeds in order to reduce capture of marine fishes for production of fish oil for aquafeeds. 

Zhengxia Dou – professor of agricultural systems of University of Pennsylvania, overviewed the large amount of IUUBs (inedible, unpalatable, or unwanted biomass) generated in the linear food system and importance of development of circular feed out of IUUBs to support sustainable livestock production and mitigate resources and climate footprints. She also presented her study exploring uses of culled fresh citrus and ensiling fresh citrus in cattle feeds in support of reutilization of waste from fruit industries. Zhiheng Cai and John Burrows, representatives of ASMI introduced production of high-quality fishmeal and fish oil from processing by-products of pollock and salmon. Qingping Liu – director of sales in Asia of IIC, outlined various food co-products as valuable ingredients for circular feeds of livestock and pet foods. Larissa Alves Koulicoff, research assistant of Pet Food Program, Kansas State University (KSU), introduced sustainability of pet food ingredient sourcing and presented KSU's on-going studies on optimized uses of dried bakery product in pet foods, as a solution to waste from bakery industries. Jennifer Adolphe – pet technical sales manager of ADM and Sean Madison – director of global pet food and north America business development of Innova Feed, elaborated the innovated insect husbandry system "industrial symbiosis" located in France– efficiently converting agricultural by-products to black soldier fly, for production of protein and energy ingredients for specialty pet foods, livestock feed, aquafeed as well as frass for organic fertilizer.

In addition to exploration of optimized reutilization of various food waste presented in the forum, various issues in proper handling of food waste, including processing technology, packaging sustainability and safety quality measures, were also presented and discussed. Mian Riaz - professor and associate head of Department of Food Science and Technology of Texas A&M University, presented progress in using extruders in converting food waste to circular feed ingredients, which shed light on processing of food wastes from diverse industries with redundant extruders eliminated from competition and consolidation of Asian aquafeed industry. Rafael Auras - professor and Amcor Endowed Chair in Packaging Sustainability of Michigan State University, elaborated roles of packaging in guaranteeing food safety and reducing food loss and waste. Danny Zhang – commercial director of NSF Greater China Food and Nutrition Division, introduced sustainability of used cooking oil industry for global biofuel production and importance of International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) to production of renewal fuels and circular feeds.    

The 2^nd IFPRUFW is the only event that such topics on FLW reduction, reutilization, technologies and managerial practices in relevant fields were comprehensively presented to the public and openly discussed by professionals across various industries in Asia. USDA's policies and practices in FLW reduction and recycling of organics, presented by Flemings and Buzby, showed valuable experiences by a responsible government, which could be used as a model by other countries. USDA's FLW outreach activities worldwide have been guiding global efforts in reduction and reutilization of FLW. The frontier research and innovative practice, presented various speakers at this forum, undoubtedly showed great importance of international cooperation in food waste reduction practice and optimized utilization of rendered products, repurposed foods and reprocessed food waste through international trade.

Over 1200 professionals in FLW collection and handling, restaurant/food market supply service, animal feeds and pet foods, attended the forum on-stie and on-line. Asian media coverages on this forum reached over 400,000 viewers, showing the heightened attention among public in Asia over last year. It is estimated that the 3^rd IFPRUFW will be held in Hainan, China in 2025.