Food waste – A Challenge or Opportunity?​

Hello Food Heroes!

Hope you all are doing well!

“Food Waste” is the most ‘used’ word in recent times. Globally, 1/3rd of the food produced, amounting to 1.3 billion tonnes is lost or wasted in the supply chain from farm to fork. Food wastage is a serious threat to achieving sustainability as it is not just the food that is wasted, but also the resources that are utilized to produce it (Fig. 1). Also, it has other serious implications, either direct or indirect (Fig. 2). In this context, the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) on “Responsible Consumption and Production” aims at halving the per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses by 2030.1

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Let us first understand some key terminologies in this regard. We often notice two separate terms used in different contexts: ‘food loss’ and ‘food waste’. Food loss refers to the portion of food that is lost through the stages from harvest until, but not including the retail level. On the other hand, food waste is that which is wasted at the consumer and retail levels. While the former occurs due to lacunae that exist in the harvest handling, post-harvest processing, cold chain infrastructure, and poor transportation, the latter results from overbuying, improper storage, and lack of consumer awareness. Other reasons include inappropriate food management, sale and use of sub-standard ingredients at food outlets. Academicians and food industry professionals are working round the clock to mitigate food loss and waste and turn them into viable opportunities.

Food waste as an opportunity? Though it sounds vague and impractical at the first go, in reality, it is turning out to be a billion-dollar business. According to a 2019 report of Future Market Insights, the food waste market is estimated at $47 billion.2 While the academic researchers are working on the isolation of bioactives, nutrients, and functional constituents from food waste, the emerging start-ups focus on these perspectives: (1) food waste recyclability and reusability to produce biodegradable packaging and biogas; (2) digital innovations, i.e., real-time food condition monitoring and data analytics based on IoT and AI principles to connect consumers and surplus foods; and (3) 3D food printing to develop customized recipes using purees from food residues generated by restaurants and other food outlets.3 Major food industry players focus on the concept of ‘reworking’ their products. For those who are unaware of rework, it is nothing but an unincorporated food product, usually resultant from non-compliance to sensorial specifications (flavour, colour) but still safe to consume and hence held for reuse or reprocessing. An interesting instance of this is Unilever’s Cremissimo Chocolate Hero, in which unused ice cream resulting from the flavour changeover during the production of Cremissimo is combined with high-quality ingredients and sent back to the production line. This product is prepared from 40% would-be wasted ice cream, thus saving above 300,000 tubs per year.4

The problem of food waste must be uprooted right at the initial stages of field-level sorting and quality monitoring, by adopting simple, foolproof, and cost-effective tools. Imaging and image analysis-based tools are on the rise to accomplish the above objective. Likewise smart-packaging solutions and smart sensors/time-temperature indicators aid in extending the shelf-life of foods and accurately informing the consumers on the end-point of their usability, respectively. Thus, it is certain that the food scientists, industry players, and consumers are on the right path towards the ‘Zero food waste’ destination. According to me, the definition of food waste is similar to darkness. Darkness does not exist; it is merely the absence of light. Likewise, food waste is just a material with untapped potential. Every material on this earth has its utility, and food waste is no exception to this. And, this is all about the EPA’s food recovery hierarchy (Fig. 3), which ranks the possible utility of food waste from the most to least preferred.                    Fig. 3

Image Source: https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/food-recovery-hierarchy

Nevertheless, my personal opinion is that food waste must be put back into use in the food value chain itself, as long as it is safe for consumption or food contact applications. My research activities involve converting the food industry waste and by-products into value-added food ingredients: conversion of wheat bran particles as solid emulsifiers in leavened bakery products and isolation of surfactants from spent coffee grounds for application as food-grade foaming agents and emulsifiers, to cite a few. To know more, please visit these links:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2021.107204; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2020.106354; https://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12244

Rather than viewing food waste as a challenge, it should be looked upon as an opportunity. There is every possibility that food waste can be a zero-cost raw material for a billion-dollar business. Thus, looking at food waste through the lens of innovation will eradicate the term ‘food waste’, sooner or later. So, let’s innovate more, eliminate food waste and support sustainable development goals!

Signing off until I come up with my next blog, next month… Eat right! Eat safe!

Always a proud Food Technologist,

Padma.

References:

  1. https://www.unep.org/thinkeatsave/about/sdg-123-food-waste-index
  2. https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/products-from-food-waste-market
  3. https://www.startus-insights.com/innovators-guide/discover-5-top-startups-developing-food-waste-management-solutions/
  4. https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/waste-free-world/tackling-food-waste/

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Chandrika GM

    Excellent

  2. Venkatesh

    Nicely written article ka

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