New facility to convert UAE’s surplus bread into sustainable animal feed

UAE – An Australian company is set to tackle the United Arab Emirates’ growing food waste challenge by transforming surplus bread into sustainable livestock feed, addressing part of the nation’s 13 billion dirhams (US$3.54 billion) annual food waste bill.

núaFEEDs, a family-founded company with more than 25 years of experience in food and feed processing, is expanding into the UAE with a first-of-its-kind facility dedicated to converting surplus bread and grain-based waste into livestock feed. 

The company’s proprietary AEROFLOW technology depackages and processes the waste through an automated system, ensuring the resulting feed achieves 99.7% purity and nutritional consistency.

While the idea of using leftover food for animal feed isn’t new, núaFEEDs is introducing a professional, large-scale and biosecure solution that aligns with the country’s sustainability goals. 

“We see waste not as a problem, but as an opportunity to create value,” a company spokesperson said. “Our technology allows us to transform something that would have gone to landfill into a premium-quality feed product.”

This initiative strongly supports the UAE Food Security Strategy 2051 and the Circular Economy Policy 2021–2031, which promote responsible resource use and waste reduction. It also complements the Dubai Municipality’s efforts to divert food waste from landfills. 

By reintroducing bread waste into the food chain, núaFEEDs is operating at a higher level of the food recovery hierarchy than composting or incineration, achieving both environmental and economic efficiency.

Dual gains for business and agriculture

The benefits of the new facility extend across sectors. For bakeries and retailers, it offers a way to reduce disposal costs that can reach 150 dirhams (US$41) per tonne. 

For livestock farmers, it introduces a more affordable and stable feed alternative amid grain market volatility, where prices can fluctuate by up to 40% annually.

The resulting feed is not just sustainable but nutritionally rich, containing 15.9% crude protein, higher than most basic grains, and an energy content of 16.1 MJ/kg DM, promoting optimal livestock growth and performance.

núaFEEDs’ model has already proved successful in Australia, where its existing facility has processed over 64,800 tonnes of surplus bread, equivalent to about 130 million loaves. Developed under Australia’s rigorous biosecurity standards, the approach ensures consistency, safety, and scalability for new markets like the UAE.

As the company prepares to launch operations locally, it is inviting retailers, wholesalers, bakeries, and farms to collaborate in closing the food waste loop. “Every loaf saved is a step toward a more resilient and circular food system,” the spokesperson added.

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