Abstract
Food waste and nutrition are intrinsically linked in terms of environmental health and public health. Despite this, it is unknown whether these topics have been previously synthesized into a review. The aim was to identify the interdisciplinary parameters that exist in public health and nutrition literature in terms of food waste and plastic waste associated with food, and to identify how these parameters currently contribute to food sustainability messaging and interventions. A rapid scoping review was conducted. Data were mapped into concepts and synthesized in a narrative review. Four main concepts were identified: (1) food waste and diet quality, nutrient losses, and environmental health, (2) food waste reduction interventions and diet quality, (3) food banks/pantries and diet/nutritional quality, and (4) food and plastic waste messaging in nutrition or dietary guidelines. Food waste is associated with nutrient wastage, and interventions to reduce food waste can successfully address food sustainability and nutrition quality. Food redistribution systems do not currently address access to sustainably sourced foods that are also nutrient-dense for lower-income communities. Opportunities for future research and practice include aligning food waste, plastic waste, and nutrition priorities together and developing better food redistribution systems to limit wastage of high-quality foods.
Highlights
The implementation of sustainable practices has become a key priority, which includes a shift toward more sustainable food systems [1]
A scoping review fit with the aims and objectives of the research question which sits across diverse research disciplines including food systems, public health nutrition, and environmental health
Assessment of nutritional loss with food waste and factors governing this waste at household level in Pakistan [58]
Summary
The implementation of sustainable practices has become a key priority, which includes a shift toward more sustainable food systems [1]. Our current global food systems are not in line with this definition and cannot be considered sustainable, as they do not provide food security and have numerous negative environmental impacts [3,4,5]. Reductions in food waste and plastic waste are important strategies in the move toward more sustainable consumption and production patterns [1]. Development Goals, the United Nations aims to “halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels” and to “substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse” by 2030 [1]. Incentives, and campaigns to reduce food and plastic waste at production and consumer stages have the potential to address public health by identifying simultaneous opportunities for nutrition and healthy eating messaging
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