This study was conducted to compare the effects of feeding dry or fermented (aerobically or anaerobically with or without lactic acid bacteria) restaurant food residue mixture-containing diets on animal performance and blood profiles. Rats were used as the model animal for the simulation of laboratory rodents, rabbit or horse feeding and fed for 4 wks. The results were compared with feeding a dry diet (control) with the same ingredient composition as diets processed by aerobic and anaerobic methods. Feeding all the fermented diets tended to increase (p>0.05) average daily gain of rats resulting in improved (p<0.01) feed efficiency. Apparent digestibility of NDF was increased (p<0.05) by feeding the fermented diets, although digestibilities of DM, OM, CP, and NFC were not affected (p>0.05). Compared with the aerobically fermented diet, digestibility of ADF was increased (p<0.05) for the anaerobically fermented diet and for the 0.5% LAB culture plus anaerobically fermented diet. The digestibility of crude ash tended to increase (p>0.05) with feeding of the fermented diets. Feeding either of the fermented diets had little effects on serum nutrients, electrolytes, enzymes and blood cell profiles of rats except sodium and uric acid concentrations. These results showed that compared with feeding a dry food residue-containing diet, feeding aerobically or anaerobically fermented diets showed better animal performance as indicated by higher feed efficiency and rat growth rate. These improvements were attributed to the desirable dietary protein conservation during the food residue fermentation process and to higher total tract digestibilities of NDF and crude ash in the fermented food residue diets.

This study was conducted to introduce recycling procedures of food waste (FW) as feed according to the dehydration, semi-dehydration fermentation and liquid fermentation methods through the on-site survey of companies related, to trace physico-chemical components and nutritional losses depending upon the processing stage for each method and finally to suggest more desirable methodology for the efficient utilization of FW as animal feed. For the dehydration method, dewatering of FW alone reduced (P<0.05) moisture (approximately 10%) and ether extract contents and increased (P<0.05) fiber contents. Dewatering and subsequent dehydration of FW decreased (P<0.05) contents of ether extract, limiting amino acids such as lysine, methionine and histidine, pepsin digestibility of protein by half, and NaCl content by 40%, increased (P<0.05) contents of fiber, crude ash, Ca and P, and did not alter (P>0.05) pH. The semi-dehydration fermentation method of FW did not affect (P>0.05) the chemical components, pepsin digestibility of protein, pH and NaCl content. For the liquid fermentation method, pasteurization and fermentation of FW decreased (P<0.05) contents of dry matter, ether extract, crude fiber, lysine and NaCl; however, it did not affect (P>0.05) other chemical components, pepsin digestibility of protein and pH. Among the processing methods, nutrient losses were highest for the dehydration method (25% of metabolizable energy loss, 12% of organic matter loss) and little for the semi-dehydration and liquid fermentation methods. The on-site survey of companies related revealed that the existence of foreign materials in FW products were problematic for all the three companies surveyed, thus it was necessary to develop a more efficient screener. Before feeding FW-containing diets to pigs, high quality of protein and energy feedstuffs needed to be fortified for the dehydration method. For the semi-dehydration fermentation method, the scientific diet formulation technology was required at the initial mixing stage. For the liquid fermentation method, possibly most energetic and proteinaceous feeds needed to be supplemented for the normal animal growth.