EAT-Lancet in Action: How to Upcycle Meat and Dairy Side Streams

Our food system is the biggest contributor to many of our planet’s most urgent issues, including land use change, pollution, biodiversity loss and the climate crisis. As the EAT-Lancet Commission’s work shows, no single solution is enough. To improve public health and protect our natural world, we need a combination of approaches that transform our diets and production practices while also eliminating food loss and waste.

Driving a global reduction in the amounts of meat and dairy that we produce and consume is central for achieving these goals. However, we also need to make vastly more efficient use of the meat and dairy production that remains in place. In this article, we’ll look at how hospitality can support this by reclassifying side streams from these industries as valuable ingredients.

What are side streams?

Side streams are the by-products or leftover materials from the food production process. Once considered waste or used for animal feed or biogas, we’re now seeing more of these side streams being upcycled to create new food products. By bringing a smart, circular mindset to our food systems, this can form part of the solution to the twin issues of global hunger and environmental degradation.

Chefs and restaurants can help by creating a market for these foods. Upcycling ‘waste’ foods into meals that are delicious and desirable provides opportunities for customers to become familiar with them and changes how these ingredients are viewed in the first place.

Why make better use of side streams?

• The environmental argument: Reducing food loss and waste is a powerful lever to reduce our environmental footprint. Over 10% of the global food system’s emissions are caused by food that is lost or wasted, so finding ways to avoid this is crucial.
• The social argument: With a growing global population (many of whom are still living with hunger), improving resource efficiency is a critical strategy for how we can ensure that everyone is not only fed, but properly nourished. An estimated one-quarter of all calories produced globally is lost in the food supply chain, but improving efficiency could prevent around half of these losses — providing enough food to feed one billion extra people without any increase in actual production.
• The economic argument: Food system side streams are typically undervalued and have the capacity to provide significantly better economic return. Upcycling these streams can transform existing ingredients into new, more valuable foods — while also saving money on disposal costs. The market for upcycled food is growing quickly and projected to be worth $97bn USD by 2031.

There are plenty of side streams with the potential for upcycling, across all food categories. Below, we’ll explore some of those from meat and dairy industries; since these foods have the biggest environmental impact, it’s particularly important that we’re as efficient as possible in using the resources created in their production.

How can restaurants utilise meat and dairy side streams?

Work with your suppliers to source ingredients that are under-utilised by the foodservice sector. Here are some examples, along with inspiration for how they can be used.

WHOLE-ANIMAL SIDE STREAMS

• Cull ewe: Older sheep who have stopped birthing lambs can be known as cull ewes or classified as ‘cast for age’ (CFA). Because the animal has had a longer life than lamb, mutton can be very flavoursome, and can be prepared in similar ways to lamb or hogget. As just one example, BAO in London, UK, sources cull yaw (a regional term in parts of the UK) mince from Matt Chatfield at The Cornwall Project for their lamb dumplings.
• Kid goat: Goat is one of the most widely consumed meats in the world, but in some Western countries, it’s also one of the most wasted. For farms producing goat’s milk and cheese, male kid goats are considered by-products and, without adequate demand for their meat, are often destroyed. However, goat is rich in iron, protein and omega-3s, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and can make use of terrain too harsh for other types of farming. From little, nibbly chops and lean, tender fillets to slow-cooked legs and shanks, there is a variety of ways to incorporate goat into your menu.
• Spent laying hens: Unlike broilers, reared for their meat, egg-laying hens that reach the end of their fertility are generally considered a by-product. Most of these ‘spent hens’ are converted into livestock feed or pet food. However, there’s no reason not to eat the meat, and many cuisines already do — China, Thailand and Zimbabwe are just some examples. The only caveat is that this tougher, low-fat meat needs the ‘low and slow’ treatment; for reference, think of the classic French coq au vin, where rooster is braised slowly in red wine.
• Ex-dairy cow: Similarly, cows who are no longer of use to the dairy industry can be ‘retired’ and put out to pasture for 12 to 18 months before being sold as beef. Because the cow is older, there is usually great fat marbling and a deep, extra ‘beefy’ flavour. Like any other beef, ex-dairy beef cuts can feature on your menu as steaks or in slow-cooked braises and ragùs.

CARCASS BALANCE

Embracing carcass balance is a major way in which restaurants can turn ‘waste’ side streams into delectable dishes, creating more value for themselves and for farmers. Chef Oscar Jonasson is Head Chef at Sodexo Restaurant Björken in Sweden, and says, “At my restaurant, we maintain a close dialogue with our local meat supplier. When they have specific cuts or types of meat available in larger quantities, then I explore creative ways to build dishes around them. This helps reduce waste, supports local producers, and often results in flavourful meals that our guests really enjoy.”

• Offal: Organ meat packs a powerful nutritional punch alongside deep, rich flavours, with plenty of scope for creativity — whether that’s modernising heritage recipes from cultures around the globe, or shaping something new. Skewered chicken hearts or confit duck gizzards can make a fantastic small plate or tapas-style dish, while lamb hearts can be grilled — a popular Peruvian street food — or stuffed and slowly braised for a tender centre-plate option. Dredge sweetbreads in seasoned flour, then pan-fry and serve with a vibrant, caper-studded piccata sauce; gently poach ox tongues, slicing them and piling them over some herby butter beans, or sear them and use in a revamped steak sandwich; make your own haggis in-house; deep-fry golden, crispy lamb’s brain croquettes; or explore pig’s head terrines, beignets or sausages.
• Blood: Blood is a rich source of protein, nutrients and calories and is a useful thickener. Historically, blood has been a component of traditional diets in many parts of the world. Blood sausages, for example, feature in a range of cuisines, from Spanish morcilla to Irish black pudding, Kenyan mutura, Cajun boudin and Balinese urutan. Duck and pig blood are often used as ingredients in Chinese hot pot; known as ‘blood tofu’, the blood is coagulated into solid, jelly-like cubes or cakes, then added to the soup. Cabidela is a Portuguese dish made with poultry (often a rooster), with the blood from the bird added towards the end of cooking time. In Italy, blood even features in a Neapolitan dessert; beloved for its silky texture, sanguinaccio dolce is made from bitter dark chocolate and pig’s blood.
• Bones: Ensuring that bones find a place in the kitchen can be as simple as making stock, but there’s scope for creativity here, too. One clever idea comes from Fish Bar at JW Marriott Hong Kong: they blend pulverised grouper fish bones with gluten-free flour to create handcrafted ‘fish bone fettuccine’, a signature dish. Beef bone marrow is an umami and fat flavour bomb. Experiment with adding it to sauces; beat it into mashed potato for a luxurious side dish; toss with leftover bread cubes before baking them into croutons; or simply serve cross-cut, roasted bones with some good toast, perhaps with a zingy, herby gremolata for colour and contrast.

You can read more about carcass balance here, including how to work with your butcher to tackle it in ways that make practical sense for your kitchen.

DAIRY SIDE STREAMS

• Whey: The most common side stream from the dairy production is whey, the liquid left behind after cheesemaking. Whey can pollute our waterways if disposal is not properly managed — but it’s also an underappreciated source of nutrition, rich in lactose, proteins, minerals and vitamins. It’s easy to find uses for whey in your kitchen: use it in baking, add it to soups, stews and sauces, or cook grains or pasta in whey to add flavour and nutrition. It works well as a tenderising agent in marinades for meat, and can be used as a starter for lacto-fermenting vegetables. Blend it into smoothies for a protein and probiotic boost, experiment with creating whey-based cocktails, or make your own in-house ricotta.

You can learn more about the updated EAT-Lancet report here, and make sure to check out our previous articles on bivalves and beans. Keep an eye out for the remaining pieces in this series; the next article will explore how chefs can help to prevent waste in the supply chain. 

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