In 2018 EFPRA joined three other European renderers in a public private partnership (PPP) “Circular bio economy” to increase the use of co-products and residues as feed materials. In total 13 companies and research institutes join the project on ‘Improving circularity by using residues and co-product as feed material.
The main goal is the optimised and efficient use of co- and by-products to close nutrient cycles and minimise loss of raw material as requested by the EU´s intention of a circular economy. Various biomass components should be used safely and sustainably with optimal added value.
The consortium is especially interested to develop new local sourcing strategies and to improve the European self-sufficiency of feed resources. One of the hidden champions in this field are fats and proteins from animal by-products, both well-known for decades and used worldwide. For nearly 20 years they have been banned in farmed animal feed. However, the use of tracing and control tools may allow animal proteins back in the diets of omnivores like pigs or poultry. The use of animal by-products is undoubtedly an immense contribution towards a bio-circular economy and the closure of nutrient cycles. Therefore one of the first activities in the collaboration was a study on the application and nutritional value of poultry proteins (Processed Animal Proteins) in the diets of pigs.
The aim of this study was to determine the nutrient composition, ileal and total tract digestibility and nutritional value of poultry-based PAPs in growing pigs. The first part of the research focused on the phosphorus digestibility, the second aimed to determine the protein and amino acid digestibility in the ileum (small intestine) and the total tract digestibility of protein, fat, and energy.
The full report of this study will be available soon. First results are available on this research poster, which shows that the nutritional performance of PAP’s is as good as soy proteins which is used worldwide.
Further information can be found here:
Research paper on nutrient digestibility of PAP in broilers
Research paper on health effects of substituting soya with PAP