Thai researcher wonders if chicken feathers on the menu might fly

By Juarawee Kittisilpa

 

Thai inventor Sorawut Kittibanthorn holds up chicken feathers at a slaughter house in Nakorn Pathom province, Thailand, November 18, 2020. Picture taken November 18, 2020. REUTERS/Prapan Chankaew

 

BANGKOK/NAKHON PATHOM, Thailand (Reuters) - When Sorawut Kittibanthorn was looking for new types of waste to recycle, the then London-based student was drawn to the millions of tons of chicken feathers being discarded each year.

 

Now back in his homeland of Thailand, the 30-year-old is seeking funding to continue his research into how best to convert the nutrient component found in the feathers into a powder that can be transformed into a lean, protein-rich source of edible food.

 

"Chicken feather contains protein and if we are able to serve this protein to others in the world, the demand from everyone... will help reduce waste," Sorawut told Reuters.

 

Indeed the potential appears huge, given that Sorawut reckons about 2.3 million tons of feathers are being dumped in Europe alone each year.

 

Would you eat chicken feathers? Thai inventor Sorawut Kittibanthorn has found a way to turn them into an alternative food source. Rosanna Philpott reports.

 

And with generally higher poultry consumption in Asia, he believes there could be up to 30% more feather waste that could be exploited in the region.

 

Sorawut, who studied for a Masters of Material Futures in London, said the idea still needs to go through other research and development phases.

 

But prototypes including his take on chicken nuggets and a steak substitute have received positive reviews from some.

 

"You know the texture is very complex and advanced. It’s something you wouldn’t imagine that chicken feathers will be able to improvise into this kind of dish," said food blogger Cholrapee Asvinvichit, after tucking into "steak" served with gravy, mashed potatoes and a salad.  "I really could imagine this (being served) to me in some like, Michelin star (restaurant), or some fine dining experience."

 

Hathairat Rimkeeree, a food sciences professor at Kasesart University, was also pleasantly surprised by the results.

 

"I think it does have the potential to become an alternative food source in the future."

 

Plant-based substitutes for meat have been gaining popularity as more people shift towards vegan or vegetarian diets, amid growing concerns about health risks from eating meat, animal welfare and the environmental hazards of intensive animal farming.

 

While feather-based foods could not be categorised as vegan or vegetarian, Sorawut feels they should be considered ethical dining.

 

"I plan to approach the zero-waste restaurants first because even though these dishes are made from poultry waste, it is still a by-product from animals (we normally consume)."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-12-16

 

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9 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai researcher wonders if chicken feathers on the menu might fly

 

Pluck me I've heard about this .. whether it'll fly is another wing .. best not put all the eggs in the one basket though ..

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by Justgrazing
Sp

Needs a rebranding. 

What's next?  Old fried duvets?

I guess there is protein in everything organic, so why stop there, Did anyone look in to chicken poop?

CP would be interested one would say another additive to the list

51 minutes ago, sirineou said:

I guess there is protein in everything organic, so why stop there, Did anyone look in to chicken poop?

It's already feed back to battery raised chickens... 

Sorry! Double posting

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by Dagfinnur Traustason
Deleted

3 minutes ago, Dagfinnur Traustason said:

I can not understand why the guy have to go so far? I recon they will be perfect deep fried and crispy, served with a delicious Nam Prik. Spicy enough, you will never have a problem because as usual your taste buds will be in a tranquilized stage.

 

Edited December 16, 20205 yr by Dagfinnur Traustason

Interesting and for reference:-

 

New type of "Chicken Soup":-

 

• Research & Development  28th September 2017 

Lund team turns chicken feathers into food

MILLIONS of tons of chicken feathers are wasted every year, but researchers at Lund University in Sweden have found a way to turn them into proteins for food use.

Biotechnology professor Rajni Hatti-Kaul and researcher Mohammad Ibrahim were seeking ways to use waste products in new ways. They identified a strain of bacteria from a chicken farm in Egypt (belonging to Ibrahim’s parents) which can break down the feathers into a soup of small-chain peptides and amino acids in a hydrolysis process.

Feathers are not wasted and have been used in food for animals (dairy cows, . . . ) but this is not more allowed in many countries after the mad cow disease scare. They are still allowed in fish feeds (salmon farms, . . . ).

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thai researcher wonders if chicken feathers on the menu might fly

Why not use the Feathers same as the chicken Poop ,Fertilizer .

A very needed product for any farm or veg garden. Specially Organic farming.