Levels Of Food Waste Research Articles

Making food waste illegal in Sweden – Potential gains from enforcing best practice in the public catering sector

Food waste is an inefficiency problem that needs to be reduced significantly to achieve a sustainable food system. Best practices and knowledge are available on how to reduce waste but large volumes of food are still wasted every year, so policies that support or enforce broader implementation of best practices are needed. One policy that could be used to push implementation and successful use of best practices to reduce food waste is the Swedish Environmental Code, which states that all actors must consider every possibility to reduce the amount of waste generated in any facility, unless this is unreasonably expensive. However, there is no clear definition on the actual waste reduction needed to comply with this requirement, so it is not enforced in practice. This study explored the potential gains of applying the Environmental Code, potential benchmarking thresholds for illegal levels of food waste and best voluntary practices that can achieve low levels of food waste. The Environmental Code is applicable to most operator food handling systems, and was assessed here using the Swedish public catering sector as a case. All 290 Swedish municipalities were asked to provide raw data for the study and some agreed, resulting in a dataset covering 458 public catering units serving care homes, schools and preschools. The data were analysed to identify different permissible levels of food waste, while the best canteens provided information on their best practices to keep food waste low. The results showed that with best voluntary practice for each type of catering unit, overall food waste would be reduced by up to 76 %. Best voluntary practices used by the best-performing canteens were identified as: ‘reusing buffet leftovers’, ‘adjusting recipes based on previous consumption’, ‘advising guests to start with small tasting portions’, ‘setting goals for waste reduction’ and ‘serving smaller volumes in buffet containers and refilling more often’. All these actions can realistically be implemented as standard practices by public catering organisations. The present analysis could not confirm that all these actions have actually been implemented, or to what extent, but practical implementation of identified best voluntary practices meeting stated benchmarks is recommended. The Environmental Code is technology-neutral and goal-oriented and participating food business operators are not forced by law or official regulations to introduce resource-saving measures, but this study shows that some measures can lead to a large reduction in food waste. The study does not show whether harsh, i.e. costly, measures can be enforced on businesses, which can only be determined by case law (court practice). However, in the specific cases in this study, measures that could have been enforced based on the Environmental Code would have led to at least 76 % reduction in food waste. This would be a major step towards a sustainable food system.

Waste Power Generation System at The Institute Technology of Sumatera, Lampung, Indonesia

The Sumatera Institute of Technology (ITERA) is a public university based in Jati Agung, South Lampung Regency, Lampung Province. Based on the assignment from the Ministry of Education and Culture, in the early stages of development and implementation it will be carried out by the Bandung Institute of Technology in collaboration with the Regional Governments throughout Sumatera. Furthermore, on October 6 2014 and promulgated on October 9 2014, the Sumatera Institute of Technology (ITERA) was established. One of them is pollution, including water, air and land pollution. In general, most of the waste produced at ITERA is domestic waste, accounting for 20-30% of the total waste volume. The objectives of our study are (1) to determine the quality and quantity of ITERA solid waste (2) to identify potential solid waste into environmentally friendly energy. Data processing and analysis is carried out descriptively based on the data that has been obtained, then the data is processed by calculating the potential for waste to become electrical energy. Waste generation data is needed to calculate the amount of waste stock that will later be used as fuel and will be related to the continuity of electrical power supply and the amount of energy that will be produced (KWh) and calculate the amount of energy potential. Quality and quantity of ITERA solid waste are food waste has the largest percentage, namely 24.11%, where the largest composition comes from food waste. The high level of food waste produced is due to students' habits of consuming excessive food without managing the waste. The total projected waste generation at ITERA in 2022 is 528,428 kg/day or 3,236 L/day. Calorific value is found in food and market waste, namely 1,295.98 Kcal/kg. The Potential production results from the direct combustion (Incineration) technology process carried out by PLTSa produce a potential electrical power of 1,862.6112 kWh/day, if operated for 1 year the potential electrical power produced is 679,853,088 kWH/year or 679.85308 MWh/year.

An innovative blockchain-based supply chain model in the context of food security

The problem of food security has rapidly escalated due to numerous food adulterations and rising prices of socially important foods, as well as the general growth of the supply chain network in recent years, thereby increasing levels of food waste. Since the recent evolution of the technology, blockchain promises a high potential ability to guarantee and track the originality of products, also effectively managing the supply chain. Moreover, blockchain has been recognized as one of the eight major technologies that can change our lives if used in the right direction for the benefit of society and countries' economies. In Kazakhstan, there is a lack of infrastructure to support food supply, as well as a number of issues regarding increased control over prices by the government. The purpose of this study is to identify the benefits of blockchain, which facilitates the effective management of the food supply chain, the ability to meet the needs of all stakeholders, and a comparison with the traditional supply chain system. The article uses factor analysis, taking into account economic, political, social, technological interests, through which the existing problems at the moment are uncovered. The results show that the application of blockchain in the food supply chain leads to positive demand from the government, producers and end consumers. The value of the work lies in the theoretical study, which drew on the experience of recent research around the world, adaptation in Kazakhstan and the possibility of application in the context of food security. This work contains many touched upon economic aspects and can serve as a basis for further research.

Food, health and sustainability.

This review makes a case for taking an integrated 'food systems' approach to explore the links between health and sustainability rather than treating them as separate topics. Unlike more linear 'farm-to-fork' conceptions, a systems approach emphasises the links between domains and sectors, helping avoid perverse effects where an intervention at one point in the system can have unanticipated consequences at other points. Adopting this approach, the review argues that food security and sustainability are as much a socio-cultural as a technical challenge requiring the combined forces of researchers from the natural and social sciences together with a range of stakeholders from government, business and civil society. Meeting the twin challenges of health and sustainability will require changes to intensive food production systems, dietary change and reductions in current levels of food waste. The review explores why dietary practices are so resistant to change seeking alternatives to the deficit thinking that pervades much advice on 'healthy eating'. It explores the locus of responsibility for food system change, emphasising the asymmetrical power relations that shape contemporary dietary choices. The review includes an example of food system research, the H3 project (healthy soil, healthy food, healthy people), which seeks to transform UK food systems 'from the ground up', adopting the principles outlined in the body of the review.

Food waste between environmental education, peers, and family influence. Insights from primary school students in Northern Italy

Education plays a central role in tackling consumers' food waste. However, research on children's food waste at school tends to focus on quantification and logistical factors rather than on the impact of interventions. Furthermore, behavioural elements, including imitation, tend to be neglected despite their well-established role in the food realm. To contribute to filling this gap, we assess the short and long-term impact on food waste levels of a lesson about the environmental consequences of food waste. Innovating on the literature, we control for both behavioural factors and social influence. For this purpose, we developed a longitudinal protocol that factors in altruistic concerns elicited through economic experiments, and the influence of parents and classmates assessed through parents' questionnaires and network questions. We apply the protocol to a sample of 420 Italian primary school students from 20 classes. The lesson was implemented in half of the classes, randomly selected. We find that the lesson only reduces self-declared food waste in the short-term but the impact does not persist after some months. Concerns for the environmental implications of food waste increase significantly, and this effect is still present in the longer-term. Neither the parents' approach to wasting food nor the degree of students' pro-social motivations make a significant difference. In turn, students' food waste is found to align with that of the students sitting nearby in the school canteen, suggesting that imitation through direct observation of behaviours plays an important role. These results call policymakers to take advantage of network effects in social settings to favour the replication of pro-environmental behaviours.

Green Campaign of Food Waste Handling: Communicating the Food Sustainability

Several cities in Southeast Asia are dealing with a variety of issues related to food waste management. The rapid growth of fast food retail in Jakarta, Manila, and Bangkok has resulted in a high level of food waste. This food waste, if not properly processed, will be harmful not only to individual health but also to the environment. Food waste management, which is primarily the responsibility of retail companies, requires the use of effective strategies and tactics. Some of the tactics that can be used include increasing consumer awareness, changing the behaviours of corporate agents, and adjusting stores and items. Another strategic approach is to lobby the government to enforce food waste management regulations. The purpose of this study is to determine which communication channels are effective in communicating the dangers and environmental awareness of the impact of food waste, based on public perception in the Southeast Asian community. How do Southeast Asians handle food waste, manage food waste, and become aware of the dangers of food waste? This study employs a quantitative approach, with questionnaires distributed at random via Google Form to 400 respondents, including 198 Indonesians, 105 Filipinos, 73 Thais, and 24 Singaporeans. According to the study’s findings, the majority of respondents were aware of the food waste problem and took measures to address it effectively. The remaining respondents were already aware of the dangers posed by food waste, but chose to disregard the gravity of the situation. Some respondents, however, are completely unaware of their food waste. Another finding is that Singaporeans have the highest level of awareness in Southeast Asia, with more than 65 percent of Singaporeans aware of the environmental dangers posed by food waste.

Food waste changes in the Swedish public catering sector in relation to global reduction targets

Global food waste reductions are difficult to evaluate. The global ambition is to halve food waste by 2030. In this study, eight years of food waste quantification data from Swedish public catering were used to monitor changes and evaluate progress towards global reduction targets. A 15–30% reduction was observed and the current trend was a declining level of food waste within the sector. The goal of halving food waste by 2030 appears to be achievable, provided that all canteens perform in line with those studied. However, the canteens studied may represent the best-performing, so the actual change or current levels of food waste may have been underestimated. The present situation (2020) is that approximately 19,000–21,000 tonnes of food waste are generated annually in Swedish preschools and schools. Therefore, canteens in these establishments need appropriate tools to monitor waste levels and progress, and incentives encouraging them to continue reducing food waste.

Sustainable lifestyles, eating out habits and the green gap: a study of food waste segments

PurposeThis paper aims to identify Australian consumer segments based on sustainable lifestyles and attitudes towards food waste and model the factors (socio-demographic, attitudinal and lifestyle) contributing to different levels of food waste.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a face-to-face survey of 334 respondents. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to identify consumer segments, and econometric analysis is used to model the factors contributing to different levels of food waste.FindingsA total of six lifestyle segments are identified: the freshness lovers, the vegetarian and organic food lovers, the recycle/reuse advocates, the waste-conscious consumers, the label-conscious/sensory consumer and the food waste defenders. This research distinguishes between low and medium levels of food waste based on marginal effects analysis. At low levels of food waste, consumers who worry about the food waste cost, making efforts to reduce food waste are less likely to waste food. Affluent consumers, who claim to be waste conscious, have young children and frequently eat outside, are more likely to waste food than others, lying in the medium waste group.Originality/valueAustralia, like many other countries, has high levels of food waste and despite policy efforts, curbing household food waste remains a challenge. In addition, there are limited food waste studies that focus on consumers who practice sustainable lifestyles. The current paper contributes to the market segmentation literature and has several implications for food policy and practice.

Quantifying Food Waste in the Hospitality Sector and Exploring Its Underlying Reasons—A Case Study of Lahore, Pakistan

Given that about 40% of the total food produced globally is lost or wasted, there is an urgent need to understand what, where, why and how much food waste is generated. In this study, we collected the much-needed primary empirical data from the restaurants, hotels and caterers of Lahore, Pakistan through surveys and live tracking/diaries. Specifically, two key performance indicators, waste per customer (g) and percentage waste per day (%), were measured. Waste per customer was found to be 79.9 g (survey) and 73.4 g (live tracking) for restaurants, 138.4 g for hotels and 140.0 g for caterers. Similarly, the percentage of waste per day (%) was found to be 15% (survey) and 17% (live tracking) for restaurants. Results revealed that customer plate leftovers were reported to be the primary source of food waste, followed by inaccurate customer forecasting. Given the food waste levels identified in this study, the development and adoption of a national goal and target aimed at food waste reduction could usefully guide the efforts of all stakeholders. To achieve this, we need to build the capacity of all the relevant stakeholders on food loss and waste measurements and ensure national food waste reporting.

Sustainable utilization of food waste for bioenergy production: A step towards circular bioeconomy

The population growth, along with lifestyle changes, has resulted in unprecedented levels of food waste at all phases of the supply chain, including harvest, packing, transportation, and consumption. Conventional practices involve dumping of food waste with municipal garbage. However, these methods have serious environmental and health consequences. Food waste has a great recycling perspective due to its high biodegradability and water content, making it an ideal substrate for the production of biofuels and other industrially important chemicals including pigments, enzymes, organic acids, and essential oils. This review extensively covers conversion of food waste to generate bioenergy which will help to reduce environmental pollution and facilitate implementation of a circular bioeconomy. Moreover, review also highlights novel technologies like supercritical fluid extraction, ultra-sonication, pressurized liquid extraction, and microwave assisted extractions that are being employed in food waste management to increase the efficiency of value-added product recovery in an economically viable manner. Metabolic engineering of microorganisms for specificity of product would be a future breakthrough in food waste valorization/management.

Does resilience reduce food waste? Analysis of Brazilian supplier-retailer dyad

Food waste negatively impacts the three dimensions of sustainability. Environmentally and financially, it represents a waste of natural resources and increases the cost respectively. Socially, it represents an ethical issue as about 800 million people are suffering from hunger worldwide. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore if and how resilience contributes to food waste reduction in fruits and vegetables distribution in the Brazilian market. Multiple case studies were conducted in the supplier-retailer dyad of four retail chains. Results have shown that resilience plays the role of both enabler and barrier to food waste reduction. On the positive side, collaboration, communication, flexibility, innovation, knowledge management, leadership, security technologies and supply chain design contributed to food waste reduction; especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the negative side, financial health and redundancy increased the level of food waste. Additionally, it was observed that flexibility can reduce or increase food waste. Our findings have implications for academics and practitioners as the developed framework summarizes the role of resilience to food waste reduction. As a social impact, the implementation of food waste reduction initiatives by non-governmental organizations and retailer associations can result in increased communication, knowledge diffusion, and training about how to build resilience and improve food waste reduction practices among different agents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study that explores the relationship among elements of resilience and food waste. Thus, it advances the current literature by operationalizing resilience to reduce food waste.

Factors Affecting Food Waste Behavior (Case Study Of Surakarta City Community)

Recent global issues are always related to food waste. Indonesia is also recorded to have an index value that is in the serious category. Conditions that are quite happening in fact are also followed by high numbers or values ​​of food waste in Indonesia. It is recorded that food waste in Indonesia reaches 300 kilograms of food waste per person every year. The flow of food waste is usually sourced in urban areas caused by many, one of which is the city of Surakarta. This study aims to determine the factors that influence the behavior of food waste in the city of Surakarta. This study used a sample of 30 people from the city of Surakarta. The data analysis method used in this research is multiple regression analysis. Based on the results of the study, it can be seen that simultaneously the independent variables consisting of income level, frequency of eating, education level, gender and number of household members affect the level of food waste. Partially there are only two variables that affect food waste, namely education level and frequency of eating, while the remaining three variables, namely education level, gender and number of household members have no effect on food waste.

Tackling Food Waste in All-Inclusive Resort Hotels in Egypt

Food waste remains a serious economic, environmental, and ethical problem, whether globally or at a national level. The hospitality industry is responsible for more than one-third of food waste. This study investigated the tackling of food waste in all-inclusive hotels from an employee perspective. It explored employees’ perceptions of the causes and driving factors behind food waste, and considered why food waste occurs, and how best to reduce waste to the minimum. A total of 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers and chefs employed in all-inclusive hotels in Hurghada, Egypt. Critical insights that emerged from the findings include that guest behavior, background, and eating habits, along with the nature of the unlimited pre-paid services offered by all-inclusive programs, are the main drivers for food waste. Furthermore, the operation’s routine and the practices of all-inclusive hotels contribute to food waste, with a lack of technology employed to tackle food waste practices. In addition, inappropriate practices of all-inclusive hotel employees during the food service cycle contribute negatively to food waste. The low room rate package of all-inclusive hotels obliges hotel managers to purchase food raw materials of inadequate quality. Consequently, the final products are below guest expectations and increase the level of food waste. The findings also indicate that guest attitudes and preferences are perceived as key drivers of food waste. This research presents an examination of staff perspectives of the causes of food waste and how to effectively reduce it in the context of an all-inclusive resort. The results have theoretical implications and implications for practitioners.

Eat or Throw Away? Factors Differentiating High Food Wasters from Low Food Wasters

More than half of food waste is generated at the household level, and therefore, it is important to tackle and attempt to solve the problem of consumer food waste. This study aimed to identify factors differentiating high food wasters from low food wasters. A large-scale survey was conducted in Lithuania. A total of 1001 respondents had participated in this survey and were selected using a multi-stage probability sample. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression modelling was used to analyse the effect of socio-demographics, food-related behaviours, attitudes towards food waste, and knowledge of date labelling on levels of food waste. Impulse buying, inappropriate food preparation practices, non-consumption of leftovers, lack of concern about food waste, and worry about food poisoning were related to higher food waste. On the other hand, correct planning practices and knowledge of date labelling were related to lower food waste. The findings of this study have practical implications for designing interventions aimed at reducing consumer food waste.

Less Food Wasted? Changes to New Zealanders’ Household Food Waste and Related Behaviours Due to the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown

Food waste is a crisis of our time, yet it remains a data gap in Aotearoa New Zealand’s (NZ’s) environmental reporting. This research contributes to threshold values on NZ’s food waste and seeks to understand the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown on household food waste in NZ. The data presented here form part of the ‘Covid Kai Survey’, an online questionnaire that assessed cooking and food planning behaviours during the 2020 lockdown and retrospectively before lockdown. Of the 3028 respondents, 62.5% threw out food ‘never’/‘rarely’ before lockdown, and this number increased to 79.0% during lockdown. Participants who wasted food less frequently during lockdown were more likely to be older, work less than full-time, and have no children. During lockdown, 30% and 29% of those who ‘frequently’ or ‘sometimes’ struggled to have money for food threw out food ‘sometimes or more’; compared with 20% of those who rarely struggled to have money for food (p < 0.001). We found that lower levels of food waste correlated with higher levels of cooking confidence (p < 0.001), perceived time (p < 0.001), and meal planning behaviours (p < 0.001). Understanding why food waste was generally considerably lower during lockdown may inform future initiatives to reduce food waste, considering socio-economic and demographic disparities.

Upcycling to a circular food system

Upcycling to a circular food system

Food Waste Generation in Germany in the Scope of European Legal Requirements for Monitoring and Reporting

The European Commission and the German government are committed to the United Nations SDG target 12.3 of reducing food waste along production chains and halving it at retail and consumer levels by 2030. European member states are required to monitor national food waste levels and report annual progress to the European Commission from 2020 onward. In this regard, the main objective of our study is to provide food waste quantities for Germany by applying methods meeting the legal requirements for monitoring and reporting within Europe-wide harmonized methodology. Our results refer to 2015 and are based on the best available data, using a combination of official statistics, surveys, and literature. We found that approx. 11.9 ± 2.4 million tonnes (144 ± 28 kg/(cap·year)) of food waste were generated in Germany, while the reduction potentials varied throughout the different sectors. Even though the underlying data show uncertainties, the outcome of the study represents a starting point for the upcoming monitoring activities in Germany by uncovering data and knowledge gaps. To meet the political reduction targets, a national food waste strategy was launched in 2019 by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which is an important step toward cooperation and exchange between actors along the entire food chain, raising awareness, and improving data quality, monitoring, and implementation of prevention measures in practice.

COVID-19: Impact of Service and Food Quality on Student Satisfaction and Food Wastage in a Tunisian Canteen

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to far-reaching health, social, and economic consequences. In order to secure the safety of students and staff, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has established general guidelines for University campuses including canteens, based on prevention and protective measures. Food wastage is a major global issue impairing food security. The objective of the present study was to evaluate these COVID-19 measures on food wastage in a Tunisian University canteen. Because of the COVID-19 crisis, the university canteen has changed their practices by setting up a meal bag service for lunch and dinner. Face to face interviews based on a structured questionnaire, were conducted during one month on 154 on 143 student respondents (mean age 23 years old, 76% women) in June 2020, after COVID-19 lockdown lifting. Interestingly the COVID-19 crisis has positively impacted the students’ awareness about food wastage since 28% of respondents declared not throwing away food and 55% claimed to have reduced their food waste levels. Most of respondents (72.4%) have highly appreciated the new concept based on take-away. About 63.1% declared eating at least every other day at the canteen, and 67.8% going more often. Interestingly 93.1% claimed to have noticed improvements in the quality of food items. These changes were related to better food presentation (72% of respondents), better food safety (64%), better overall sensory quality (36%), whereas only 1% claimed not having observed any changes. Food quality service has been evaluated as very good by 45% of respondents, and quality of prepared foods as good by 43%. However, although the COVID-19 measures allowed a reduction by 21% of self reported food wastage in the canteen, most of respondents (71.3%) affirmed not finishing their plates. The most discarded dishes were soups (62% of respondents), stews (52%), vegetables (48%) and salad (45%) whereas dairy products (65.4% of respondents), fruits (64.4%), rice (51.9%), Tunisian dish tajin (51.9%) and chicken (50%) were not wasted. In conclusion, our study has shown that providing good take-out meals has potential for reducing food wastage among students, strengthening the importance of food safety and convenience as effective tools for food waste prevention.

Consumer expenditure, elasticity and value of food waste: A Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System for evaluating changes in Mexico during COVID-19

Household food waste is driven by consumer habits and behaviors. The necessary measures implemented during the lockdown worldwide to contain the Covid-19 pandemic altered these consumer practices. This paper examines how household's culinary traditions and food management have changed in Mexico as a result of Covid-related restrictions, and their impact on food waste. We obtained 525 answers using an online survey about food habits distributed through social networks in Mexico between December 2020 and January 2021. The results show that the participating households increased their monetary expenditure on groceries and reduced food waste during the pandemic. The estimation of consumer responsiveness to waste, through the introduction of a framework based on a Quadratic Almost-Ideal Demand System, confirms that, even more during the lockdown, food waste has become a luxury good. The analysis of food category changes allows for a detailed study useful to curtail the level of food waste in Mexican households and to encourage transition towards sustainable and circular consumption behaviors.

Material flow analysis and sustainability of the Italian meat industry

The Italian meat industry represents a core business for the national economy, accounting for over 20 billion euro (15% of the domestic agri-food value), but requires large amounts of energy and produces several types of waste, of which food loss and waste account for an always-increasing amount. The United Nations 2030 Agenda has established food waste as a global concern, contributing to social, environmental and economic losses. Nevertheless, only a few studies have addressed food waste quantification from production to consumption stage. This paper, in line with Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597 concerning a common methodology and minimum quality requirements for the uniform measurement of levels of food waste, applies the Material Flow Analysis (MFA) methodology to the Italian meat industry, testing its reliability in sustainability assessments. With MFA it was possible first to quantify and qualify food waste streams and secondly to calculate related material cycles and eco-efficiency indicators. Results demonstrate that, in 2018, the Italian meat industry processed more than 4.9 Mt to produce approximately 2.0 Mt of fresh meat, 1.9 Mt of co-products and by-products, 0.7–0.8 Mt of meat-based products and more than 0.2–0.3 Mt of food waste at retail and final consumption. Material Use Efficiency was estimated at 0.95–0.97 (96%) at slaughtering, drastically decreasing to 0.79–0.85 (82%) when “unconscious” food waste was included, showing that it represents a significant variable mass for material cycle indicator calculation. On the other side, a sharp increase in eco-efficiency indicators was assessed, showing an average variation of approximately +20% in the last ten years in terms of material input productivity.