Today's Edition
IBRAHIM SALEEM (ABU DHABI)
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has begun implementing a number of initiatives as part of an integrated strategy to reduce loss and waste in the food chain, through developing a legislative framework to achieve this in Abu Dhabi, in coordination with Ne’ma, the national initiative to reduce loss and waste at the state level, which contributes to enhancing the efficiency of the supply chain.
The Authority also worked on launching programmes and initiatives aimed at changing behaviour related to the production and consumption of food from farms, in addition to implementing training programmes for workers in agricultural food establishments, raising awareness among various segments of society, and urging them to rationalise consumption and reduce waste to ensure the sustainability of food security.
Awareness Campaigns
In accordance with this strategy, ADAFSA launched awareness campaigns through its various platforms, which included a meeting for investors in poultry projects, during which the authority classified the types of waste in poultry projects into four, including losses in ‘’fodder, birds, eggs and slaughtered chickens’’, while the types of wasted material were divided into production requirements, energy, medicine and vaccines, disinfectants, packaging materials, labour, and time.
Food loss sites are concentrated in feed factories, warehouses, and poultry farms, in addition to slaughterhouses, and during transportation and shipping. Additionally, ADAFSA pointed out that the causes of waste lie in three sources, including administrative, economic, technical, and organisational phases.
Regarding loss and waste in feed factories, warehouses and barns, the authority explained that loss and waste at this stage results from damaged raw materials and feed due to improper storage, consumption of feed by rodents and wild birds, or transportation of feed in inappropriate trucks.
Direct and Indirect Loss
Elaborating further on waste and loss, ADAFSA classified them as direct and indirect. As for direct feed loss, this occurs in the barn, as many feeding systems are designed in a manner that is unsuitable for the type, age, size and quality of the bird’s feed.
In regard to loss of birds, improper management of the feed and weight loss of birds due to feeding from contaminated carcass are the main factors.
As for indirect loss in the barn, it mainly happens among a breed of bird with a low conversion efficiency, or when the temperature of the barn is very low, feather growth is delayed or incomplete, birds are infected with parasites and diseases, feed is wasted by the birds, and birds are lost whether in the barn or transport.
The Authority also addressed the causes of food loss and waste of resources in poultry projects regarding birds, such as the loss of the barn, through the density of birds, the source of the chicks, an increase or decrease in the number of birds, collecting birds and placing them in cages, or holding birds incorrectly, and placing birds in loading cages that are unsuitable, as it causes necrosis, fractures, hematomas and bruises, which are rejected at the slaughterhouse.
The Authority indicated that the unsuitable climatic conditions and the long period of time for transport from the farm to the slaughterhouse cause an increase in the number of dead birds.
Inappropriate temperature and insufficient ventilation in the waiting area inside the slaughterhouse also lead to an increase in the number of dead birds upon arrival.
Also, unloading birds and hanging them on the slaughter line in a violent manner causes bruising or redness in the carcass, or using slaughtering equipment, scalding, and plucking feathers in inappropriate ways, causes an increase in the percentage of rejected carcasses.
Another major cause of food loss and waste of resources in poultry projects is attributed to the way energy is consumed at management and production sites.
Energy Consumption
Energy is wasted when all machines and equipment are operated, or all slaughterhouse machines are operated at the same time at the beginning of the shift, despite the time difference among birds, which are suspended on the line and reach the final part of the process.
Traditional lighting also consumes high energy compared with modern energy-saving lamps (LED). Air leakage from cracks and gaps in doors, doorways, windows and walls in poultry houses or production facilities disrupts heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
These systems also consume more energy to maintain the ideal conditions required for old equipment, such as: cooling cells and fans, consume more energy compared to new or well-maintained ones.
Regarding production requirements (water, ice, and other sites), water loss occurs directly through leakage from water lines, and water waste occurs as a result of the use of non-water-efficient equipment in washing, cleaning, and disinfection operations.
Poor water (increased acidity or salinity) can also cause weight loss in birds, resulting in abstaining from eating, thereby leading to indirect loss to the farm.
Ice loss is another factor blamed on poor storing and transporting.
Furthermore, improper packaging machines and materials are also culprits in waste and loss.
The Authority also pointed to the practices of storing medicines and vaccines incorrectly as well as employing untrained workers or the number of workers exceeding the farm’s absorptive capacity, leading to waste and loss.
