Feeding pigs human food waste

High quality ingredients are fed to pigs and contribute a significant amount to the cost of production. Each year, Australians discard 361kg of food per person, and so there are potentially opportunities for this to be utilised to feed pigs, as long as the risks and challenges associated can be worked through. This project explored the potential of feeding human food waste to pigs.

Value for producers:

• Exploration of alternative pig feed sources, which have the potential to reduce feed costs
• Positive effect on public perception if industry is seen taking steps that result in reduced landfill

Key findings:

The study included an analysis of three different categories of food waste streams:

1. Manufacturing (food processing) waste – high economic return and potential for more processors and producers to get involved
2. Commercial (supermarket and food service) waste – marginal positive economic return, but high volumes of suitable wastes, as long as risk of contamination with restricted animal material is managed
3. Domestic (household) waste – uncertain economic return, and higher disease risk

The potential for using human food waste as a source for pig feed varies considerably depending on the source of the waste.