New project aims to turn residues into high-quality animal feed

Our goal is to support local industries, improve circularity and reduce the carbon footprint of food production in Nordic countries.

Biological residues such as sawdust from the forest industry, cereal bran from breweries, and municipal food wastes, accumulate during wood and food processing. Even though they are rich in carbohydrates, these wastes often have a low residual value because the presence of cellulose and lignins makes them difficult for animals to digest. A scientific team, led by Olivier Keech, plan to use the carbohydrates stored in these residues to create higher-value feed while supporting the development of a local, circular, and environmentally friendly economy.

“Many of these organic residues contain a lot of fibres, a poorly accessible source of sugar. We plan to use a combination of modern chemical and biochemical techniques to break down the material and release the carbohydrates, which bacteria and yeast will then ferment and turn into valuable proteins”, explains Olivier Keech, Associate Professor at Umeå University and research group leader at Umeå Plant Science Centre. “The fermentation product will then be pelleted and used as animal feed.” 

Fermented feed as a natural immune booster for farm animals

The fermented feed has an additional value: it acts as a probiotic for animals. This means that it will naturally boost the immune system of the farmed animals. The researchers will analyse how feed fermented by different bacteria and yeast strains affects the animal’s gut health and immune system. These bacteria and yeast strains each have unique traits and produce different substances during fermentation. By testing various combinations, they aim to tailor the feed recipe to the needs of different animals, primarily focusing on chicken, pigs and shrimps.

For this ambitious project, Olivier Keech is joined by three experts coming from different fields. Leif Jönsson, Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, will bring his expertise in hydrothermal catalysis, a process that uses hot, pressurised water to help break down cellulose-containing plant residues.

Volkmar Passoth, Professor at the Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, is a food biotechnologist. He studies how microbial fermentation, especially from yeast, can enhance the quality of animal feed in circular production systems that aim to reuse resources rather than throwing them away.

The team is completed by Anders Kiessling, also Professor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. He works at the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare with sustainable animal nutrition sources and how nutrients can be recycled in closed farming systems. He collaborates with Olivier Keech already on another project focusing on integrated multi-trophic farming, a sustainable farming approach that combines different species from various levels of the food chain in one system.

Combining lab experiments with tests in modern aquaculture systems

“We will first do several experiments in our respective labs. However, thanks to the pilot platform for research and development on sustainable food farming that we are setting up at Östersjöfabriken in Västervik, we will quickly be able to test the quality of the newly produced feed in modern aquaculture systems focusing on shrimp and fish production,” says Olivier Keech.

And he concludes: “Our goal is to support local industries, improve circularity and reduce the carbon footprint of food production in Nordic countries. Ultimately, this should deliver a great product to the consumers. Thanks to the Kamprad Family Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Research & Charity, we can hopefully soon come closer to reaching this goal".