Thailand’s food business to repurpose excess food products into pet treats

Tops, which is under Central Retail, does this by partnering with a startup.

Central Retail’s food business, Tops, partnered with startup, Jaikla, to repurpose food scraps or excess food into food suitable for insect farming.

Jaikla, is a startup that creates pet treats from high-quality protein from insects. This latest partnership helps Tops embrace the circular economy concept.

Chakkit Chatupanyachotikul, head of marketing, Public Relations and CSV of Central Food Retail under Central Retail, said the initiative “seeks to collectively drive the reduction of global food waste resulting from business operations, leading to an improved quality of life for people in the present and the future.”

Ittikorn Thepmani, Founder of Jaikla, said Jaikla, which translates to ‘courageous heart,’ offers pet treats made from insect protein. 

Its concept stemmed from the environmental focus and a committed effort to address food waste issues in Thailand. It represents the introduction of sustainability into the pet food industry, a pioneering move under the circular economy model.