Valorisation of industrial food waste into sustainable aquaculture feeds

Abstract

The increasing global population has put enormous stresses on food security. Aquaculture is a major source of food fish and is considered one of the key pillars of our global food supply. The increasing aquaculture production has led to a surge in demand for fishmeal and fish oil – key ingredients of fish feeds obtained from finite marine resources. Decreasing the dependence on marine resources could improve the sustainability of farmed fishes. One strategy is to replace fishmeal with alternative proteins. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of how industrial food wastes can be valorised into a sustainable protein source as a replacement for fishmeal. The direct substitution of fishmeal with food wastes and the challenges associated with it will first be discussed. Next, a section will be devoted to repurposing of industrial food waste as insect feeds for the bioconversion of waste into high value protein source. A special mention on the use of encapsulated micronutrients and probiotics for functionalised feeds will also be reviewed. The review concludes by summarizing the existing regulations on the use of waste in aquaculture, its public perception, and future perspectives in converting food waste into aquaculture feed for a sustainable circular economy.

Keywords

• Food waste
• Agriculture
• Sustainability
• Insect meal
• Encapsulation
• Fishmeal