Food manufacturing by‑products in demand for livestock feed

With Australian origins back to 1923, livestock feed company Castlegate James Australasia upcycles the by-products from food and beverage companies into livestock feeds for the dairy, cattle and sheep markets. With strong growth in demand for its products, the company is now seeking to purchase greater volumes of by-products from food manufacturers and establish new suppliers.

Castlegate James Australasia’s Group CEO, Steven Chaur, said: “Each year across Australia and New Zealand, we will convert over 700,000 tonnes of consumer food by-product into quality livestock feeds that would otherwise not be consumed.”

The ingredients used for the livestock feed production are usually by-products of a food production process, such as trimmings or grade-outs, out of specification, over production or unused raw materials.

“It’s all perfectly good quality and safe but it can’t be used for consumer product and there is increasing pressure on food companies not to add to landfill,” Chaur said.

The company’s processes can efficiently de-package retail ready or bulk packaged foods. Many of the ingredients purchased for the company’s feed rations include packaged bread, biscuits, dough, yeast, vegetables and fruits, brewers’ grains, food grains and nuts, flour, dairy powders and even confectionery. These ingredients are then formulated by the company to make a balanced ration depending on the livestock application and farm productivity goal.

“Our nutritionally balanced feed is produced from high-quality, consumer-grade food product inputs and because it’s been already fully or partially processed, the ingredient digestibility and calorific value tends to be superior for livestock, relative to a conventional grains based stockfeed, delivering better energy, protein and fibre in a way that increases weight gain, marbling scores or improved milk production.”

The company is planning production investment in both Australia and New Zealand over the coming three years to meet increasing livestock customer demand. Importantly, the company does not manage general waste but it does pay its suppliers for a reliable, quality supply of by-product. It is exploring new sources of by-product supply from food manufacturers, food retailers and QSR franchise operators.

“It is a win-win relationship and we’re delighted to play a key role in helping to make a unique contribution to food industry sustainability and support an important livestock value chain,” Chaur said.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/by-studio