From Food Waste to Sustainable Agriculture: Nutritive Value of Potato By-Product in Total Mixed Ration for Angus Bulls

Raw potato fries are a type of potato by-product (PBP), and they have great potential as a partial replacement of grain in animal feeds to improve the environmental sustainability of food production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing corn with different levels of PBP (0%, 12.84%, 25.65%, and 38.44%) in the total mixed ration (TMR) of Angus bull. Sixty 16-month-old Angus bulls (548.5 ± 15.0 kg, mean ± SD) were randomly assigned to four treatments. The results indicated that with the increase in the substitution amount of PBP, the body weight decreased significantly. The dry matter apparent digestibility and starch apparent digestibility linearly decreased as PBP replacement increased. The feed ingredient composition in the TMR varied, leading to a corresponding change in the rumen microbiota, especially in cellulolytic bacteria and amylolytic bacteria. The abundance of <i>Succiniclasticum</i> in the 12.84% PBP and 38.44% PBP diets was significantly higher than that in the 0% PBP and 25.65% PBP diets. The abundance of <i>Ruminococcus</i> linearly increased. In conclusion, using PBP to replace corn for beef cattle had no negative impact on rumen fermentation, and the decrease in apparent digestibility explained the change in growth performance. Its application in practical production is highly cost-effective and a strategy to reduce food waste.