Food Waste and Food Safety Linkagesalong the Supply Chain

Abstract

SummaryFood safety, whether actual or perceived, is one of the major reasons for food waste along the agri‐food supply chain. Food safety hazards at farm level such as mycotoxin contamination of feed, overuse of antimicrobials in livestock disease control, and zoonotic disease incursion may lead to food unfit for human consumption and thus waste. Given the importance of safety as one of the most important attributes of food, the appropriate management of risks along the supply chain can contribute to reductions in food loss and waste. However, a better coordination between food waste and safety policies is also needed, which requires: balancing the scientific evidence and the precautionary principle; reviewing current food safety regulations to identify areas potentially leading to avoidable waste; combining the monitoring of safety hazards and waste along the agri‐food chain; provision of tailored information on linkages between food safety and waste; and investment in technologies to accurately assess the edibility of food. Attention needs to be paid to policies and practices on food labelling and packaging to ensure that they do not lead to unintended or unnecessary impacts on food safety and waste, which are not justified by scientific evidence.