Food by-products ‘not a waste’

THE GOVERNMENT has agreed not to classify food by-products destined for animal feed as waste.

The Agricultural Industries Confederation said the agreement with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency was a win for the entire livestock industry.

Bringing food and drink by-products under forthcoming Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations would have meant “a very important” group of animal feedingstuffs would be classed as a waste, said the AIC.

Feed merchants were extremely concerned at the public perception of the proposed re-classification and at the possible loss of valuable feed materials, said the AIC.

“The ruling from DEFRA is the right one and is very welcome,” said AIC chief executive, David Caffall.

“The UK feed industry has kept up-to-date with legislative developments and adopted comprehensive feed assurance schemes designed to safeguard human and animal health.”

A decision on how to classify other surplus food products, such as misshapen or broken biscuits, unsold bread and unsold seasonal promotional sales of products such as chocolates, has yet to be made.