Climate
Valorisation of Former Foodstuffs from Retail
Case Study 10
Abapor, ETSA Group, Portugal

Food loss and food waste are a global challenge. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about a third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted at some point in the food supply chain, from farm to fork. In the EU, this amounts to around around 87.6 million tonnes of food every year, roughly 173 kg per person.
Abapor, part of the ETSA Group, Portugal, collects former foodstuffs containing animal products from modern retail and traditional markets across Portugal. The collections are unpacked and manually segregated into several products with various sustainable applications, giving maximum value from these materials which would otherwise end up as waste.

"Around 20,000 T of food waste per year is re-used and around 1,000 T of packaging waste is recycled."

Sources of Food Waste in the EU
The chart illustrates how food waste is distributed across the supply chain. Households account for the largest share, but significant volumes arise throughout manufacturing, services, and retail.
* Estimates of European Food Waste Levels - Fusions, 2016
The Collection & Processing Operation
Abapor provides a collection service for former foodstuffs containing products of animal origin to the major retail groups and local markets across the country. Products collected include packaged meat, fish, dairy products, bread, pastry and derived products thereof.
Regular collections are made from chilled collection points and transported to the Abapor processing facility in Coruche, 100 km from Lisbon, in refrigerated trucks. Here they are unloaded and stored in a refrigerated building awaiting handling. The chilling undertaken at the collection, transport and processing facilities guarantees the preservation of the products to enable them to be utilised most sustainably.
Segregation & Valorisation Pathway
Any packaging is removed and the products are separated by type. Meat products are sent to ETSA's Category 3 animal by-product (ABP) processing factory for production of animal fat and processed animal protein, whereas fish products are sent to fishmeal plants. Dairy products, mainly milk and yoghurt, are unpacked and shipped to authorised pig breeding farms for pig feed, as are bread and pastry.
🥩 Meat Products
Sent to ETSA's Category 3 ABP processing factory for production of animal fat and processed animal protein.
🐟 Fish Products
Directed to fishmeal plants for conversion into high-value fishmeal used in aquafeed and animal nutrition.
🥛 Dairy Products
Milk and yoghurt are unpacked and shipped to authorised pig breeding farms for use as pig feed.
🍞 Bread & Pastry
Unpacked and delivered to authorised pig breeding farms as a sustainable feed source.
Figure 3: Segregated Food Waste Types & Application
Category 3 ABP processing unlocks a wide range of high-value sustainable applications, including pharmaceuticals, animal feed, pet food, fertiliser, aquafeed, oleochemicals, and biodiesel.
The Food Waste Hierarchy
Valorisation of former foodstuffs is guided by the food waste hierarchy (Figure 2), which prioritises the most sustainable outcomes. Abapor's operations are designed to operate as high up this hierarchy as possible.
Prevention — Most preferable — avoiding waste at source.
Reuse for Human Consumption — Redirecting safe food to people in need.
Reuse as Animal Feed — Dairy, bread and pastry directed to pig farms.
Reuse as By-products / Recycle — ABP processing into fats, proteins, fishmeal.
Recovery & Disposal — Least preferable — only for deteriorated materials.
Next: Case Study 11