ABSTRACT

Food waste is any byproduct or waste product from the production, processing, transportation, distribution and consumption of food. It has a high moisture and organic matter content, which makes it easily decomposed by microbes. Most of microorganisms found include basically species of the mesophilic bacteria Bacillus, Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Acetobacter, Beijiernckia, and Alcaligenes and fungi Aspergillus, Trichoderma, Penicillium, Mucor, Rhizopus, Gliocladium, Bertholletia, and Cunninghanella. They were able to transform organic raw materials into manure. The pH values of the compost pit varied from an initial acidic value of 6.0 to a final alkali value of 7.5. The temperature of the compost pit varied between 29 450C during the composting process which encouraged mesophilic microbes and hence microbial diversity was maximized. There was a sharp increase in moisture content from 40 and later decreased to 33.5. This was as a result of metabolic water formation. Also, from the analysis carried out food waste was discovered to have high nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus content of 2.1, 1.9mg/kg and 2.5mg/kg respectively and as such a promising feed for manure.

INTRODUCTION

Waste refers to materials that are not prime produces that is, products produced for the

market for which the generator has no further use in terms of his/her own purposes of

production, transformation or consumption and of which he/she wants to dispose Pongracz et

al.,2004

Wastes may be generated during the extraction of raw materials, the processing of raw

materials into intermediate and final products, the consumption of final products, and other

human activities Pongracz et al., 2004.

Food waste is any byproduct or waste product from the production, processing,

distribution and consumption of food Westendorf, 2000. Food wastes also include uneaten

portions of meals and trimmings from food preparation activities in kitchens, restaurants and

cafeterias. Food waste could also be defined as any food substance, raw or cooked, which is

discarded, or intended or required to be discarded, according to the legal definition of waste by

the EU commission.

In 1975, the European commission, the executive branch of the European Union, legally

defined waste for countries in the union as any substance or object which the holder disposes of

or is required to dispose of in pursuant to the provisions of natural law in force Kantor et al.,

1997. The United States environmental protection agency defines food waste as uneaten food

or food preparation waste from residues and commercial establishments such as grocery stores,

restaurants, and produce stands, institutional cafeterias and kitchen and industrial sources like

employee lunchrooms. Kantor et al., 1997. Here in Nigeria, a country that is dependent on

imported goods has agencies like the National food and Drug Administration and Control

NAFDAC, Standard Organization of Nigeria SON, FADAMA, NERICA rice project, ...Get Complete Material.