Carbon footprints evaluation for sustainable food processing system development: A comprehensive review

Abstract

The carbon footprint is a measurement of the environmental effect in terms of the quantity of greenhouse gases created. Identifying its relevance and scope, describing the functional unit and system, evaluating the inventory, calculating the life cycle impact, and clarifying the life cycle to include sensitivity analysis are all processes in the carbon footprint research. It is vital to examine sustainability criteria such as climate change, energy consumption, user waste production, and the advancement of manufacturing and recycling operations while conducting sustainability research using sustainability indicators such as the carbon footprint. Effective food supply chain management is intended to lead to a decreased carbon footprint, positive environmental outcomes, and enhanced food safety. To reduce the value of the carbon footprint index, present agriculture techniques are being improved, new food production methods are being developed, and an increasing number of customers are favouring environmentally friendly products. The objective of this review is to analyse the carbon footprint of food processing operations such as food preservation (refrigeration, freezing), processing, and packaging. This study discusses the utilisation of sustainable energy sources and investments in energy efficient equipment, optimising the supply chain and logistics, minimising water consumption, and correctly managing wastes.