The Use of Food Industry By-Products in Pig Diets as a Strategy to Reduce Environmental Footprint

The swine industry represents a significant contributor to global meat supply but also exerts considerable pressure on natural resources through feed production, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and nutrient losses. The integration of food industry by-products into pig diets offers a promising pathway to mitigate these environmental impacts while maintaining productivity and animal welfare. Such by-products can serve as nutritionally valuable feed ingredients, reducing waste streams and supporting the principles of a circular economy. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the nutritional properties, environmental implications, and economic advantages of incorporating food industry by-products into pig feeding systems. It further outlines the challenges related to feed safety, variability in composition, and regulatory aspects. Overall, the sustainable valorization of food processing residues as animal feed represents a viable strategy to reduce the environmental footprint of pig production without compromising growth performance or health outcomes.