Abstract
Globally, approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or discarded, comprising 1. 3 billion tons annually. Factors contributing to food waste from the food manufacturer to the consumer level are numerous. Events that may result in food waste include, but are not limited to, manufacturing food by-products, improper handling within the supply chain (e.g., cold chain deviations), misunderstood food date labels, over-purchasing, and consumer-level temperature abuse. From the manufacturer to consumer, each node in the food supply requires concerted efforts to divert food waste from entering municipal landfills. Depending on the state of the food waste, it is diverted to various outlets, from food donation for consumption to composting for soil amendment. To better understand the opportunities in the United States to divert food waste from landfills, current and emerging federal policies as well as the causes of food waste generation must be understood. Unfortunately, information on both the composition of food waste in the U.S. and how it impacts critical factors in food waste treatment, especially in food waste composting, is limited. Specifically, this review aims to: (1) discuss and compare critical factors that impact the fate of food waste and (2) examine emerging opportunities to advance the processing and products of food waste.
Highlights
Approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or discarded, which is nearly 1.3 billion tons annually (Gustavsson et al, 2011)
Gustavsson et al (2011) go on to define that all products intended for Critical Factors in Food Waste human consumption—but that do not result in consumption—are considered food waste including products that are diverted for other final uses
The present review will focus on food waste that occurs after the final product is created, as the majority of food wasted in the U.S occurs at this final stage of the food supply chain (Buzby et al, 2014)
Summary
Approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or discarded, which is nearly 1.3 billion tons annually (Gustavsson et al, 2011). Despite there not being a specific definition of “food waste,” it is important to highlight how groups define this term. Parfitt et al (2010) define food loss at the end of the food supply chain (e.g., retail, consumer) as “food waste” which is in accordance with Gustavsson et al (2011). The FAO defines “food loss” as occurring along the food supply chain up to, but not including, the retail level, whereas “food waste” occurs at the consumer and retail level. The present review will focus on food waste that occurs after the final product is created, as the majority of food wasted in the U.S occurs at this final stage of the food supply chain (i.e., retailers, food service providers, and consumers) (Buzby et al, 2014)
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