Do Good Chicken reduces food waste by 10 million lbs with circularity food to feed process

27 Sep 2022 --- US-based Do Good Chicken has saved 10 million lbs of food waste after being on shelves for six months. The brand from New Jersey launched this spring to reduce food waste from grocery stores by turning it into feed for chickens.

The company’s implemented process creates a circular system of providing chicken to consumers and feeding other chickens from food surplus, it states. The saved food surplus would have otherwise ended up in landfills.

“We have a multi-cycle approach – we collect grocery surplus from our partners, after any community donations and transport via cooler bins to our facility, where surplus food is converted into nutritious dry feed via our proprietary process,” Justin Kamine, co-founder and co-CEO of Do Good Foods tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Food waste is an issue many companies have been trying to tackle in recent years, as it has been becoming an increasingly pressing issue. 

 Do Good Chicken finds that consumers are interested in lowering food waste from grocery stores. Food and feed
A portion of crops grown are usually set aside for animal feed. 

A recent study discovered that more than 30% of cereal crop production is used for animal feeds, and approximately 23% of captured fish are destined for fish and livestock feeds.

With food shortages and food waste on the rise comes the solution of upcycling food waste into feed. 

The rise of food waste
Do Good Chicken states they have prevented an estimated 950 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It claims one of their products saves approximately four pounds of surplus food from being thrown away, preventing the release of around three pounds of GHG.  

“Food waste is a major problem in the current food system, as approximately 40% of all the food grown in the US is thrown away. Food waste is also a significant contributor to climate change, so much so that if food waste were its own country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world,” says Kamine.

Food surplus from grocery stores, restaurants and food service companies account for 40% of US food waste, according to Do Good Chicken. 

“If just one in five chickens sold was a Do Good Chicken, we could solve grocery store food waste in just five years,” claims Kamine. 

A recent report found that the EU wastes 15 million metric tons more than what is imported into 27 countries yearly.

Food waste has been a highly discussed topic in the past few years. More F&B companies are taking on the challenge of reducing food waste. 

For example, grocery stores in the UK created a chain one after another, removing their “best by” dates on their products to decrease food waste. This was positively welcomed by most consumers, demonstrating interest in becoming more environmentally sustainable. 

Garnering interest 
Consumer research from Do Good Chicken found that Americans are eager to be more climate-friendly, with nearly half being more concerned about food waste than they were one year ago. 

The study discovered that 85% of US consumers would be more likely to buy from a grocery store working to reduce food waste. Food waste reduction continues to be an industry trend companies are aiming to achieve.  

“People want to help find solutions to the climate crisis we are facing and are motivated to act. Personal actions to reduce food waste like composting, mindful food planning and eating leftovers are all excellent behaviors consumers can take, but fighting food waste shouldn’t have to fall solely on their shoulders,” explains Kamine. 

However, lack of resources and not knowing where to begin were barriers noted by 69% of respondents, but 71% of respondents said they are likely to purchase upcycled foods once they learn about the process and its benefits.

Looking forward 
Do Good Chicken is currently available throughout major grocery chains from the Northeast to Mid-Atlantic, as well as in Dallas and Denver, in over 550 stores.

The company is looking to expand its production capabilities by creating more facilities in other locations. 

“Long-term plan is to eventually have a facility near every major metropolitan area in the country so we can increase our scale of surplus food collection and further our mission to fight food waste and combat climate change. We also look forward to opportunities for expansion into other types of animal feed and product offerings in the future,” Kamine concludes. 

By Sabine Waldeck