Thai researcher wonders if chicken feathers could sell off as gourmet food

Team Udayavani, Dec 20, 2020, 11:43 AM IST

Source: Reuters

Thailand:  Sorawut Kittibanthorn – a Thai researcher with a master’s degree in Material Futures  wants to transform chicken feathers into food. And not just any type of food but actually delicious food the kind that’s served in gourmet restaurants.

Sorawut Kittibanthorn was looking for new types of waste to recycle who was later drawn to the millions of tons of chicken feathers being discarded each year. The researcher is seeking funding to continue his research into how to convert the nutrient component found in the feathers into a powder which can be transformed into a lean, protein rich source of edible food.

Sorawut told that chicken feathers contain protein and if we are able to serve this protein to people, the demand will help reduce waste. The potential appears huge as Sorawut reckons about 2.3 million tons of feathers are being dumped in Europe alone each year and with the higher poultry consumption in Asia, there could be upto 30% more feather waste that could be exploited in the region.

Sorawut said that the idea needs to go through other research and development phases and the prototypes including his take on chicken nuggets and steak have received positive response from some.

Cholrapee Asvinvichit, a food blogger, said that the texture is very complex and advanced and that he could imagine this being served in some Michelin star restaurant.