Surplus food recycler SugaRich has welcomed an EU proposal that former foodstuffs destined to become animal feed should not be considered as waste.

The Commission proposes to exclude all feed materials, including former foodstuffs, from the scope of the Waste framework Directive 2008/98/EC in its new legal proposal on waste. This step shows that former foodstuff processing is recognised as an important link between the food and feed chain and should be part of integrated food and feed safety policies.

Paul Featherstone, group director of SugaRich, says, "SugaRich welcomes the proposal by the European Commission, in its revised Circular Economy package, that former foodstuffs destined to become animal feed should not be classified as waste.

"This change to the legal framework is part of Europes strategy to reduce waste along the entire food chain. Surplus food which is safe to feed to animals is definitely not waste. The nutrients stay within the human food chain, whether its converted to eggs or to milk, which then goes back into human food.

"A clear non waste legal status for former foodstuffs is important, as reprocessing operations can occasionally be interrupted by environmental control authorities who have incorrectly interpreted former foodstuff as waste. This clarification will help food businesses reduce the amount of food sent to landfill every year, save costs, turn waste into revenue and lessen environmental damage."