Abstract
Compared to other food categories, fruits and vegetables are the most wasted. This leads to the squandering of economic, social, and environmental resources. The reallocation of fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) into animal feed contributes to the sustainability of livestock production, reducing the impact of feed production for land use. In this study, the fruit and vegetable waste from the General Wholesale Market of Milan was considered. FVW samples were collected for one year and were analysed for safety parameters and nutritional, vitamin, and mineral composition. Data showed that dry matter (DM) was on average 10.82 ± 1.21% and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) was on average 22.43 ± 4.52% DM. The presence of soluble sugars (30.51 ± 7.61% DM, on average) was also detected. However, the high moisture content of this waste makes it easily perishable, with detrimental effects on quality, storage, and transportation. A strategy was therefore proposed to reduce the water content of FVW by pressing. Overall, the results highlighted the significant nutritional value of FVW from the wholesale market and the need to develop appropriate technologies to maintain the food chain line safe.
Highlights
Every year one-third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption is lost or wasted
The results clearly indicate that fruit and vegetable waste (FVW) has an interesting nutritional value, some differences in composition were found in the 12 months of sampling due to the variability of the waste composition
This study aimed to assess the possibility of reallocating FVW into livestock nutrition based on the nutritional analysis carried out on a full year of evaluation and considering the seasonal variability and safety aspects
Summary
Every year one-third of the food produced worldwide for human consumption is lost or wasted. Fruits and vegetables incur high levels of loss given their high perishability and limited shelf life. This food category is rich in highly nutritive elements, so its waste leads to a squandering of economic, social, and environmental resources. The more food products move forward into the supply chain, the more they contribute to GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions. This implies that a unit of food lost or wasted at the wholesale stages has a larger carbon footprint than a unit lost on the farm [2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
