Food Waste Research Articles

Combining fermentation broth with spent water recycling for microalgae cultivation: nutrient reutilization, biodiesel production and techno-economic simulation

This study presents an innovative and promising technology, Water Cycling Combined Fermentation Broth (WC2FB), which offers a sustainable solution to significantly reduce the costs associated with microalgae-based biodiesel production. The innovative approach involves utilising food waste as a nutrient source, supplemented by recycled water after microalgae harvesting, with the goal of improving the viability of industrial biofuel production. The results of nutrient removal efficiency demonstrated that the addition of 15% fermentation broth to the microalgal suspension efficiently utilised volatile fatty acids, resulting in a significant increase in lipid content. Additionally, biocomponent analysis confirmed that the WC2FB mode did not compromise the desirable properties of biodiesel. Through techno-economic simulations, we predicted a 90% probability of achieving net present value (NPV) at a selling price of $5/kg. Finally, we recommended that directing future efforts be directly towards the development of culture devices, low-cost bioflocculation methods, and biorefinery extraction to further advance biodiesel production.

Long-term effects of cycle time and volume exchange ratio on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) production from food waste digestate by Haloferax mediterranei cultivated in sequencing batch reactors for 450 days

Food wastedigestatewas fed into a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) forHaloferax mediterranei(HM) to produce poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). This SBR was operated uninterruptedly for 450 days to test its stability, during which the cycle time and volume exchange ratiowere varied to understand their impacts on the PHBV fermentation performance under ranged organic loading rates (OLR). Results showed that 1) PHBV productivity was proportional to OLR of food wastedigestate; 2) substrate and product inhibitions were two limiting factors constraining substrate utilization and PHBV yields; 3) PHBV titer was dependent on the hydraulic retention time of the SBR while a volume exchange ratio lower than 0.5 is unfavorable due to the product inhibitor accumulation. This study for the first time demonstrated that the long-term stability of food waste-fed PHBV production byHMand revealed that inhibition effects could be barriers in SBR limiting the full-scale application of the technology.

Could Assortment Rationalisation Help Reduce Food Waste in Grocery Stores?

Could Assortment Rationalisation Help Reduce Food Waste in Grocery Stores?

Exploring interactive effects of environmental and microbial factors on food waste anaerobic digestion performance: Interpretable machine learning models

Biogas yield in anaerobic digestion (AD) involves continuous and complex biological reactions. The traditional linear models failed to quantitatively assess the interactive effects of these factors on AD performance. To further explore the internal relationship between target variables and AD performance, this study developed four machine learning models to predict biogas yield and consider the interaction among various factors. Results indicated that the highest prediction accuracy of AD performance was achieved by adding bacterial genera dataset with environmental factors. Random forest model exhibited the highest accuracy, with the testing coefficient of determination equal to 0.9879. Among two types of input features, the bacterial genera accounted for 89.9 % of the impact on biogas yield, followed by environmental factors. The results revealed Keratinibaculum and Acetomicrobium as critical bacteria. The volatile fatty acid controlled below 2000 mg/L and the improved stirring system in AD process were recommended to achieve maximum biogas yield.

Improved Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste under Ammonia stress by Side-Stream Hydrogen Domestication

High ammonia concentration inhibits archaea's activity, causing the accumulation of H2 and acetate, which suppresses methane production in anaerobic digestion (AD). The study aimed to enhance microbial hydrogen metabolism through a side-stream hydrogen domestication (SHD) strategy, which involves applying hydrogen stimulation to a portion of the sludge separately. SHD maintained a stable methane yield of 407.5 mL/g VS at a high total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentration of 3.1 g/L. In contrast, the control group gradually decreased and stopped methane production at a TAN concentration of 2.3 g/L. Further analysis using enzyme activity assays, flow cytometry, and metagenomics explored the mechanisms underlying ammonia tolerance of SHD-treated group. SHD reshaped the microbial community, enriching homoacetogens and Methanosaeta-dominated methanogenic archaea. Key metabolic pathways including homoacetogenesis, butyrate degradation, propionate degradation, and methane production were enhanced. The activity of related enzymes also increased. Gene abundance in energy-generating pathways, such as glycolysis, was enhanced, ensuring adequate ATP production. Additionally, the high gene abundance of ion transport systems contributed to regulating proton imbalance and supplementing intracellular K+. This study provides important insights and practical guidance for developing novel techniques in the field of anaerobic digestion.

Patient Satisfaction With Meal Service With Leftovers At Grandmed Hospital Lubuk Pakam

Food service is an important issue in the hospital environment, and patient satisfaction levels are often indicated by food consumption and waste. The current study compared patient satisfaction in hospital areas and other factors and determined the relationship between patient satisfaction and food waste. This quantitative study was conducted in RS. GrendMed Lubuk Pakam. Patients in these hospitals were asked to fill out a questionnaire consisting of three parts: general information, patient satisfaction questionnaire (Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire for Acute Care Hospital Food Service). A total of 74 patients participated. The results showed that overall, 18.9% (finished and satisfied), 39.2% (not finished and satisfied), and 41.9% (Not satisfied and not finished). Satisfaction with hospital food varies according to the service of each patient with health conditions. However, the results also showed that satisfaction with hospital food service was significantly associated with food waste (p value = 0.000). Various factors in hospital food service, especially food quality, should be improved to motivate patients to consume hospital food..

An integrated environmental and economic assessment for the disposal of food waste from grocery retail stores towards resource recovery.

Food waste gives rise to many environmental problems. A large amount of food waste is produced by grocery retail stores. It is therefore important to apply efficient food waste treatment technologies with minimal environmental impact and investigate the optimal approach for food waste collection, transportation, and treatment. In the present study, a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was conducted to analyze different food waste disposal scenarios, including incineration, landfilling, composting, anaerobic digestion, and bioconversion. The impacts of the five scenarios on the environmental, economic, and social aspects were assessed. The results suggested that the landfilling scenario has the lowest net cost for the treatment of food waste, followed by the incineration scenario. The bioconversion treatment cost has the most significant positive effect on the net cost of the bioconversion scenario, and both the price and yield of compost have a significant negative effect on the net cost. The rankings of the five scenarios are the same under both weight determination methods, with the bioconversion scenario performing the best, followed by the composting scenario. The results of this study can help improve the disposal of food waste in grocery retail stores in the framework of sustainability and the circular economy.

Design and Optimization of an Origami Gripper for Versatile Grasping and Manipulation

Robotic grasping and manipulation demand the ability to handle a multitude of objects with different shapes, sizes, quantities, surface smoothness, vulnerability, and stiffness, which is challenging without prior knowledge about object properties. Herein, a novel origami‐inspired gripper for universal grasping is presented. The innovative structure seamlessly transforms a simple uniaxial pulling motion into a flexible and robust envelope or pinch grasp, enabling it to tackle various scenarios. The origami gripper offers distinctive advantages, including scalable and optimizable design, grasping compliance and robustness, providing material flexibility, and providing solutions to challenging manipulation tasks. The working principles of the origami gripper are characterized and analyzed. An optimization‐based inverse design method is presented to adjust gripper properties for various scenarios. Through comprehensive experimentation and evaluation, the gripper's capabilities to grasp various objects with a wide range of distinctive properties, including ultrasoft, slippery, granular, and multiple objects, which is a challenge for the existing robotic grippers, are demonstrated. The research holds promise for transformative applications in areas such as the food industry, waste handling, fine and fragile objects grasping, and environmental sampling.

The Effects of International Orientation on the Dimensions of the Environmental Performance of Agri‐Food Companies: A Chilean Perspective

ABSTRACTLike other Latin American economies, Chile has significantly increased its presence in international agriculture markets. Agricultural commodities are primarily developed within specialized exporters or multinational enterprises and exported to several different countries. In Chile, the fruit sector accounts for almost half of total exports. Internationally oriented companies explore business opportunities in foreign markets and invest adequate resources in international operations. In addition, more internationally oriented companies could be more inclined to invest in green practices due to external pressures and, consequently, achieve higher environmental performance. In this context, environmental performance is related to the extent to which available natural resources are protected during the production, delivery, and consumption of agricultural products. To the best of our knowledge, there is scattered evidence of the relationship between international orientation and the environmental performance of agri‐food companies, especially in Latin America. Grounded on the natural resources‐based view theory, this study assessed the effects of environmental collaboration on five dimensions of environmental performance (greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, food loss and waste, food quality and safety, and water footprint management) in agri‐food companies with a survey with Chilean firms. Data were analyzed using the partial least square—structural equation modeling. We found that international orientation positively influences all five dimensions of environmental performance. Our study identified that the dimension most impacted by international orientation is water footprint management, and the least impacted is food quality and safety. With the aid of multi‐group analysis, we concluded that there are no significant differences in these relationships between micro/small and medium/large companies. A significant difference was observed in food loss and waste between fruit and nonfruit producers. We expect the outcomes of this study will support exporting‐related decisions and public policies in Latin America.

SWOT ANALYSIS FOR DEVELOPING COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES FOR ONLINE FOOD BUSINESS VIA DIGITAL MARKETING

Cencan Food, as an online food business that serves chicken dishes, snacks, and modern drinks, faces challenges in maintaining competitiveness in the increasingly competitive online food industry. This study aims to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) faced by Cencan Food, as well as formulate the right strategy to build competitive advantage through digital marketing. The SWOT analysis identified several key strengths of Cencan Food, such as the ability to adopt new technologies and the appeal of its products to various customer segments. However, several weaknesses found were inconsistencies in product quality and limitations in marketing resources. Key opportunities that can be utilized include increasing the use of social media and food delivery applications, while threats faced include intense competition and healthier food trends. The proposed strategies include menu diversification and implementation of a quality control system. Cencan Food can contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially for responsible consumption and production by prioritizing the use of sustainable raw materials and reducing food waste. Through this approach, Cencan Food is expected to strengthen its position in the market and achieve sustainable business growth. This study provides important insights for online food businesses in facing market challenges and taking advantage of digitalization opportunities.

Achieving an equitable circular food economy in Vancouver

ABSTRACT Food loss and waste occur at an alarming rate while many households in the City of Vancouver are food insecure. Set within the context of City of Vancouver’s Zero Waste 2040 long-term strategic plan, the City seeks to promote a circular economy, including through food waste reduction and prevention, better food redistribution, and partaking in awareness campaigns. Food rescue and redistribution is often framed as a win–win solution to avoid throwing unwanted, unmarketable, or surplus foods from the landfill and instead redistributing the food to those who are food insecure. This solution has been framed as a useful tool to promote a circular economy. However, both food waste and food studies scholars have rightly noted that connecting unwanted foods with those who are food insecure to address systemic hunger is not a panacea, nor is it a systemic solution to prevent food waste. Drawing on key informant interviews with agri-food experts across the system (n = 20), this study identified the challenges, opportunities, and the overall vision of the circular food economy and how it is mobilised in the City of Vancouver. It seeks to understand how equity factors into the vision of a circular food economy and its implementation by agri-food and relevant actors. The findings in this study highlight the importance of dynamic governance systems that targets critical points for change including regulation, funding, and capacity building to ensure a circular food economy that considers equity and justice.

Scaling the Food Mountain: Implications for Addressing the Determinants of Consumer Food Waste Practices

The growing food waste phenomenon is recognised as a global issue with significant social, economic, and environmental burdens. This is a major concern in developed nations, where consumers are the largest contributors to the total volume of food waste production. As a leading cause of food and water insecurity, economic inequality, and environmental degradation, preventing and minimising consumer food waste is a key objective for policymakers and practitioners. Due to the complex consumer behaviours and practices associated with food waste generation, current understandings of why food waste occurs remain scattered. The purpose of this review is therefore to map the history and development of consumer food waste research over time, highlighting key themes and inconsistencies within the existing literature. Adopting a narrative approach, the literature is organised into three distinct themes to explore and identify the various internal and external determinants of consumer food waste. Our analysis highlights consumer food waste as a complex and multi-faceted challenge which cannot be attributed to one single variable, but rather a combination of behaviours determined by various societal, individual, and behavioural factors. While previous research tends to frame food waste as mainly a consumer issue, this review identifies several collective actors who are central to the problem. These findings call for a holistic view across the food supply chain to help identify opportunities for multi-stakeholder actions that prevent and reduce food waste at the consumer level. Drawing upon these new insights, we provide practical recommendations to assist policymakers, retailers, and consumers in mitigating consumer-related food waste.

Exploration of Bacterial Community Structure Profiling and Functional Characteristics in the Vermicomposting of Wasted Sludge and Kitchen Waste

Nowadays, the enormously growing amount of kitchen waste and wasted sludge has greatly received global attention. Vermicomposting has been represented as an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative for organic waste management. This study utilized kitchen waste generated by the university canteen and excess sludge from municipal wastewater treatment to collaboratively realize waste to resource through vermicomposting with a composting control. The results indicated that the treatment utilizing an equal mass ratio of wasted sludge and kitchen waste (T3) exhibited the greatest reduction in total organic carbon and the highest increase in total nitrogen. Furthermore, the predominant phyla observed were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Functional prediction analysis demonstrated higher relative abundances of β-glucosidase (ascF) and 6-phospho-β-glucosidase (bglA, celF) in the vermicomposting, suggesting that the earthworms essentially enhanced the cellulose degradation. More importantly, the co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that the vermicomposting showed a stronger interaction between Gordonia and other bacteria, thereby enhancing its ability to degrade macromolecular compounds. In general, the vermicomposting can smoothly and remarkably stabilize the kitchen waste, assisted by excess sludge and sawdust.

Combating food waste in the agricultural supply chain: A systematic review of supply chain optimization strategies and their sustainability benefits

Food waste represents a significant global challenge, with approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption lost or wasted annually, leading to severe environmental, economic, and social consequences. The issue not only exacerbates food insecurity but also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, waste of resources, and economic losses estimated at over $1 trillion each year. This paper aims to systematically review the causes of food waste across agricultural supply chains and explore effective supply chain optimization strategies to mitigate these losses. Through a comprehensive analysis, the paper identifies critical drivers of food waste, including post-harvest losses, inefficient processing, and aesthetic standards, while proposing technological innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) as solutions to enhance supply chain efficiency. Furthermore, it evaluates policy frameworks that support waste reduction, highlighting the role of government incentives and regulations in promoting sustainable practices. The findings underscore the importance of reducing food waste not only for environmental sustainability but also for economic profitability, as optimizing supply chains can lead to substantial cost savings and increased revenue for businesses. Ultimately, the paper emphasizes the necessity for collaboration among stakeholders—including governments, industries, and non-profit organizations—to create systemic change and effectively combat food waste on a global scale. By fostering innovative practices and policies, we can pave the way for a more sustainable agricultural future, ultimately contributing to the alleviation of food insecurity and the enhancement of economic resilience.

Intelligent waste management: Maximize profits and minimize waste using IOT and AI

The article presents an innovative waste Container Management System for restaurants which incorporates the IoT and AI to increase effectiveness and decrease waste. Through smart dust bins that has embedded sensors and machine learning, the system can classify and measure food waste effectively in real time. This innovation affords the restaurants precise data on the waste cycles as well as the stock control to avoid over-ordering. The success of the proposed system can be also attested through high classification accuracy of food waste and the usage of models such as MLP which reached up to 96.44%. Through these technologies, food wastage, and operational costs are reduced while at the same time ensuring sustainable practices that have a reduced impact on the environment are employed. In general, the system supports better decision-making and increased profitability in the restaurant business concerning waste management and supply chain management. This optimised approach does away with the wastage which would have reduced revenues, consequently improving the business’ financial performance.

Kitchen Waste Digestate and Digestate Biochar Fertilizer for Turfgrass Management and Nutrient Leaching

Slow-release fertilizer is generally used in turfgrass management to maintain quality turf without inducing excess vertical growth, to avoid frequent mowing. This study was designed to verify whether kitchen waste digestate and digestate biochar could serve as slow-release fertilizers to promote turf quality and reduce nutrient leaching risk in two turfgrass species over two years in controlled pot experiments. The results showed that the nutrient release of granular fertilizers made from kitchen waste digestate and digestate biochar was a two-phase process (an initial rapid phase, followed by a slow-release phase). The kitchen waste digestate showed higher nitrogen and phosphorus release ratios than the biochar and sheep manure. Compared to the reference sheep manure, fertilization with kitchen waste digestate and biochar increased the leaf chlorophyll content by 48.6% and 27.9%, and reduced senescent leaves by 15.6% and 11.1%, respectively, at 23 d after fertilization, leading to higher turf quality. Fertilization with kitchen waste digestate biochar significantly reduced the nutrient leaching risk compared to fertilization with kitchen waste digestate and sheep manure. Our results demonstrated the potential of reusing kitchen waste digestate and digestate biochar as slow-release fertilizers for promoting turf quality in turfgrass management.

Environmental sustainability of food production and consumption in the Nordic and Baltic region - a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023.

This scoping review examines environmental impacts related to food production and consumption in Nordic and Baltic countries. The overarching advice to all Nordic and Baltic countries, in line with the current body of scientific literature, is to shift to a more plant-based dietary pattern and avoid food waste. Taking into account current consumption patterns, there is a high potential and necessity to shift food consumption across the countries to minimise its environmental impact. More specifically, a substantial reduction in meat and dairy consumption and increased consumption of legumes/pulses, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds are suggested as a priority intervention. Reducing the environmental impacts of seafoods is also key and suggestions include a shift to seafoods with lower environmental impacts such as seaweed and bivalves. As part of the suggested transition to a more plant-based diet, the scope for increasing the provision of plant-based foods through increasing the cultivation of legumes/pulses, vegetables, and grains and through feed-to-food shifts within the region should be explored.

OBAT KUMUR EKSTRAK ETANOL KULIT BATANG KAYU MANIS (CINNAMOMUM VERUM J.PRESL) SEBAGAI PENGHAMBATAN PERTUMBUHAN BAKTERI STREPTOCOCCUS MUTANS

Bad breath is caused by volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) produced by the anaerobic bacteria Streptococcus mutans through the decomposition of food waste. This problem can be overcome with antibacterial mouthwash. Cinnamon contains essential oils, phenols, flavonoids, saponins and terpenoids, which have antibacterial properties. This study aimed to formulate a mouthwash from ethanol extract of cinnamon and evaluate its physical properties, stability, and inhibitory power against Streptococcus mutans using the Kirby-Bauer method. This research was experimental by making mouthwash using cinnamon extract with concentrations of 10% (FI), 12.5% ​​(FII), and 15% (FIII). The results of the research showed that the mouthwash preparations were brick red in color with different intensities, all preparations were homogeneous, had a pH according to standards except for FII and all preparations did not meet the required viscosity values. The stability test showed that the preparation was stable in storage except for the viscosity parameter FIII. The results of the antibacterial activity test showed that the inhibitory power of FI, FII, FIII against Streptococcus mutans bacteria was 7.33 mm, 8.50 mm, 9.33 mm respectively. The inhibitory power of FII and FIII was better than the positive control, namely total care-antibacterial mouthwash (8.33 mm).

Simulation and modeling of methylene blue dye removal by an agri-food waste (Peanut shells)

Our study explores the potential of utilizing peanut shells, an abundant and low-cost food waste, as a natural adsorbent for the removal of industrial dyes, specifically methylene blue. We conducted a detailed investigation of the adsorption process, which revealed that it conforms to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, indicating the ability of peanut shells to adsorb methylene blue effectively. To optimize the adsorption yield, we employed a Box-Behnken experimental design. This approach allowed us to assess the impact of several key factors, including the mass of the adsorbent, dye concentration, pH, temperature, stirring rate, and the ionic strength of salts in the solution. The mathematical model and simulation of the adsorption process helped us identify the best conditions for maximizing the dye removal. Our experiments resulted in a maximum adsorption efficiency of 97%, achieved under optimal conditions: 1.5 g of adsorbent, a methylene blue concentration of 40 mg/L, pH 11, temperature of 65°C, 0 mg/L ionic strength, and a stirring rate of 165 rpm. These findings suggest that peanut shells are a viable, eco-friendly alternative for dye removal, offering a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment and contributing to waste reduction.

Integration of renewable energy-powered cold storage solutions for reducing post-harvest food waste in rural agricultural areas

Post-harvest food loss remains a critical challenge in rural agricultural areas, exacerbated by inadequate storage facilities and unreliable energy access. This study develops and optimizes an advanced renewable energy-powered cold storage system tailored for rural settings, integrating solar and wind energy with phase change materials (PCMs) for efficient energy storage. The system incorporates Internet of Things (IoT)-based sensors and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven energy management to maintain optimal storage conditions and enhance energy efficiency. Field trials conducted in Lincolnshire, UK, and Appalachian regions of the US demonstrated significant reductions in post-harvest food loss by an average of 43.5%, extensions in produce shelf-life by up to 300%, and increased income for smallholder farmers by approximately 43%. The system also achieved an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel-powered systems. Economic analyses revealed a shorter payback period and higher return on investment, confirming the system's viability. High user satisfaction and adoption rates indicate the system's practicality and potential for widespread implementation. The findings suggest that integrating renewable energy with smart technologies in cold storage solutions offers a scalable and sustainable approach to enhancing food security, promoting economic growth in rural areas, and supporting environmental objectives globally.