Food Loss Research Articles

Food prices in the United States during COVID-19: generalized facts on price inflation and volatility

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic was a shock to the food supply chain without modern precedent. Challenges in production, manufacturing, distribution and retailing led to the highest rates of food price inflation in the US since the 1970s. The major goal of this paper is to describe statistically the impact of the pandemic of food price inflation and volatility in the US and to discuss implications for industry and for policymakers.Design/methodology/approachWe use Bureau of Labor Statistics data to investigate food prices in the US, 2020–2021. We apply 16 statistical approaches to measure price changes and volatility and three regression approaches to measure counterfactuals of food prices, had the pandemic not occurred.FindingsFood price inflation and volatility increased substantially during the early months of the pandemic, with a great deal of heterogeneity across food products and geographic regions. Food price inflation was most pronounced for meats, and contrary to expectations, highest in the western US Forecasting approaches demonstrate that grocery prices were about 7% higher than they would have been without the pandemic as of the end of 2021.Originality/valueThe research on COVID-19 and the food system remains in its nascent stage. As findings on food loss and waste, employment and wages, food insecurity and more proliferate, it is vital to understand how food prices were connected to these phenomena and affected. We also motivate several ideas for future work.

Food Loss and Food Waste Along the Food Supply Chain – An International Perspective

Food loss and waste represents a global problem which is characteristic for all food supply chain sectors and all groups of countries. On average, every year one third of the total amount of food produced is lost or wasted, which indicates an extremely high level of inefficiency in the food supply chain. One of the key characteristics of food loss and waste is a wide range of ecological, economic and social implications, which is why this problem has become the subject of many national and global agendas. Although there is still no unique definition of the term food loss and waste and unique data collection methodology, many authors have researched this topic so far. Therefore, this paper's aim was to research the existing literature on the phenomenon of food loss and waste, as well as to observe trends of the amount of food loss and waste in the world and the EU. The results indicated that the differences between developed and developing countries have changed, and the amount of food waste in both groups of countries at the household level is now quite uniform. At the level of the EU, the household sector is also the largest generator of food waste.

Impact of Food Waste on Society, Specifically at Retail and Foodservice Levels in Developed and Developing Countries.

Food loss and waste pose significant challenges in both industrial and agricultural food production sectors. In recent decades, their environmental and economic impacts have intensified due to increasing food demand, heightened production activities, and varying standards across the global supply chain. Specifically, the complexities surrounding the causes of food waste at the retail and household levels persist as a multifaceted issue, constituting a crucial topic in food policy. This is driven by various interplaying aspects, such as food security, safety, quality, and environmental sustainability, including greenhouse gas emissions from decaying food, water pollution from leaching, and the proliferation of landfills. Additionally, consumer concerns and financial losses exacerbate the urgency of addressing this issue. Therefore, this paper aims to highlight these complexities as a focal point of its discussion by the examination of interconnected causes of food waste and potential solutions and initiatives to reduce food waste occurring at these critical points in the food supply chain. Less attention has been paid to retail and foodservice than production and consumer sectors, and this review specifically focuses on these industries, where food waste is more important than food loss. This review also looks at examples in developing countries which have received less attention until now. We believe that because of the complexity of the process to reduce food waste across the food supply chain, and the many stakeholders involved, the goal of a 50% reduction by 2030 set by the United Nations will be difficult to achieve on time.

Functional Surfaces for Passive Fungal Proliferation Control: Effect of Surface Micro- and Nanotopography, Material, and Wetting Properties.

Fungal proliferation can lead to adverse effects for human health, due to the production of pathogenic and allergenic toxins and also through the creation of fungal biofilms on sensitive surfaces (i.e., medical equipment). On top of that, food spoilage from fungal activity is a major issue, with food losses exceeding 30% annually. In this study, the effect of the surface micro- and nanotopography, material (aluminum, Al, and poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA), and wettability against Aspergillus awamori is investigated. The fungal activity is monitored using dynamic conditions by immersing the surfaces inside fungal spore-containing suspensions and measuring the fungal biomass growth, while the surfaces with the optimum antifungal properties are also evaluated by placing them near spore suspensions of A. awamori on agar plates. Al- and PMMA-based superhydrophobic surfaces demonstrate a passive-like antifungal profile, and the fungal growth is significantly reduced (1.6-2.2 times lower biomass). On the other hand, superhydrophilic PMMA surfaces enhance fungal proliferation, resulting in a 2.6 times higher fungal total dry weight. In addition, superhydrophobic surfaces of both materials exhibit antifouling and antiadhesive properties, whereas both superhydrophobic surfaces also create an "inhibition" zone against the growth of A. awamori when tested on agar plates.

Ensuring Food Safety among Food and Agricultural Nonprofit Organizations: A Review of Literature about Challenges and Opportunities

Food and agricultural nonprofit organizations (FANOs) are a critical part of the food supply chain, requiring evaluation of their food safety assurance within the production, preparation, and distribution of food. This article provides an overview of literature and policy surrounding food safety in nonprofit organizations, particularly FANOs, and proposes opportunities and challenges in FANO research. It addresses the prevalent risks of foodborne illnesses associated with FANOs with poor food safety practices. Three specific problem areas that need to be better addressed in FANO research were revealed. First, poor food safety practices in FANOs can lead to food loss and waste. Second, inadequate food safety behaviors and practices among volunteers are a unique issue that FANOs face due to high volunteer turnover and reduced training time. And third, there is a large disparity between who is regulating and enforcing food safety in FANOs. Potential research questions and methodological limitations of conducting research on each problem area are proposed.

Hexahelix Analysis: Accelerating Food Loss and Waste Management in Support of Circular Economy Implementation in the Local Region

The substantial amount of food waste generated in Sragen Regency due to inadequate food loss and waste (FLW) management has a detrimental impact on the environment. This study aims to analyze the efforts to optimize FLW management, examine the relationships between variables, and assess stakeholder synergy in accelerating FLW management to support the implementation of a circular economy in the Sragen Regency. This research employs a mixed-methods approach, with data analysis conducted using MICMAC and MACTOR methodologies. The MICMAC analysis results indicate that stakeholder relationships, waste prevention, location factors, cultural factors, and community scale are the core variables for accelerating improvements in FLW management. In contrast, the MACTOR analysis identifies the Environmental Agency (DLH), Kecik Waste Bank, and Si Repi Waste Bank as the primary stakeholders in these efforts. Additionally, the MACTOR analysis highlights changes in community behavior and the utilization of FLW in the circular economy as primary objectives agreed upon by all stakeholders. The findings from the MICMAC and MACTOR analyses provide a basis and reference for determining the model and grand design of an FLW management acceleration strategy to support the implementation of a circular economy in the Sragen Regency.

INTERPRETING FARMER ATTITUDE TO FOOD LOSS PHENOMENON IN THE FRESH MILK SUPPLY CHAIN IN BANYUMAS, INDONESIA

Food loss is currently a global problem for both developing and developed countries. Food loss is defined as the loss of a portion of food that is still raw but cannot be processed into a food product because the resulting material does not meet the desired quality. Food loss occurs in livestock production, and one focus is the milk supply chain. Food loss in milking usually occurs due to activities carried out during the harvest, post-harvest, and distribution processes. Food loss in the milk supply chain is caused by decreased milk quality and the farmer's attitude. Problems regarding the attitude of farmers that often occur are farmers' low attitude of responsibility to conduct something. This study aims to determine the effect of farmer attitudes to food loss in the milk supply chain. The method used was quantitative by collecting data from a survey of 46 milk farmers in Bayumas. Then, data were analyzed using the ANOVA approach. The results showed that demographics significantly affect farmers’ attitudes toward food loss in the milk supply chain. The food loss is due to farmers' treatments, including feeding, filtering milk into milk cans, and depositing milk in the shelter. Most farmers are over 50 and need more attention and knowledge about food loss in the milk supply chain. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct regular counseling programs for farmers in the supply chain regarding food loss mitigation. The stakeholders can provide the program to add new insights related to food loss. There should be intervention from the deposit shelter and cooperative in helping to increase farmers' awareness of food loss in quantity and quality.

Turning Food Loss and Food Waste into Watts: A Review of Food Waste as an Energy Source

Food loss (FL) and food waste (FW) have become severe global problems, contributing to resource inefficiency and environmental degradation. Approximately 6% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are derived from FW, which is usually discarded in landfills, emitting methane, a gas that is 28 times more harmful than CO2. Diverting the path of FW towards the energy industry represents a promising avenue to mitigate the environmental impact and save resources while generating energy substitutes. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature review on 10 different conversion processes used to convert FL and FW into energy. Anaerobic bioconversion integrated with pyrolysis emerges as a potential eco-friendly and promising solution for FW management, nutrient recovery and energy production in various forms, including biogas, heat, biohydrogen and biochar. Despite its potential, the anaerobic digestion of FW still faces some challenges related to the production of intermediate harmful compounds (VOCs, NH3, H2S), which necessitate precise process control and optimization. Nonetheless, converting FW into energy can provide economic and environmental benefits in the context of the circular economy. This review offers insightful information to stakeholders, academics and policymakers who are interested in utilizing FW as a means of producing sustainable energy by summarizing the important findings of ten different waste-to-energy processing methods and their potential for improved energy recovery efficiency.

Agri-Food Management and Sustainable Practices: A Fuzzy Clustering Application Using the Galois Lattice

The objective of this study was to generate groups of agri-food producers with high affinity in relation to their sustainable waste management practices. The aim of conforming these groups is the development of synergies, knowledge management, and policy- and decision-making by diverse stakeholders. A survey was conducted among the most experienced farmers in the region of Nuevo Urecho, Michoacán, Mexico, and a total of eight variables relating to sustainable waste management practices, agricultural food loss, and the waste generated at each stage of the production process were examined. The retrieved data were treated using the maximum inverse correspondence algorithm and the Galois Lattice was applied to generate clusters of highly affine producers. The results indicate 163 possible elements that generate the power set, and 31 maximum inverse correspondences were obtained. At this point, it is possible to determine the maximum number of relationships, called affinities. In general, all 15 considered farmers shared the measure of revaluation of food waste and 90% of the farmers shared affinity in measures related to ecological care and the proper management of waste. A practical implication of this study is the conformation of highly affine clusters for both policy and strategic decision-making.

Identification of Food Spoilage Fungi Using MALDI-TOF MS: Spectral Database Development and Application to Species Complex.

Fungi, including filamentous fungi and yeasts, are major contributors to global food losses and waste due to their ability to colonize a very large diversity of food raw materials and processed foods throughout the food chain. In addition, numerous fungal species are mycotoxin producers and can also be responsible for opportunistic infections. In recent years, MALDI-TOF MS has emerged as a valuable, rapid and reliable asset for fungal identification in order to ensure food safety and quality. In this context, this study aimed at expanding the VITEK® MS database with food-relevant fungal species and evaluate its performance, with a specific emphasis on species differentiation within species complexes. To this end, a total of 380 yeast and mold strains belonging to 51 genera and 133 species were added into the spectral database including species from five species complexes corresponding to Colletotrichum acutatum, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium dimerum, Mucor circinelloides complexes and Aspergillus series nigri. Database performances were evaluated by cross-validation and external validation using 78 fungal isolates with 96.55% and 90.48% correct identification, respectively. This study also showed the capacity of MALDI-TOF MS to differentiate closely related species within species complexes and further demonstrated the potential of this technique for the routine identification of fungi in an industrial context.

Assessing Food Loss and Waste in Chile: Insights for Policy and Sustainable Development Goals

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that Latin America and the Caribbean experienced the most rapid rise in food insecurity, with approximately 47.7 million individuals in the region affected by hunger in 2022. In Chile, almost three million people, 15.6% of the country’s population, do not have regular access to sufficient nutritious food and suffer from some form of food insecurity. Moreover, Chile is particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change and contends with the depletion of several critical natural resources, notably water, stemming from severe and prolonged drought conditions. This article aims to comprehensively evaluate food loss and waste (FLW) in Chile and analyzes the implications of FLW on the sustainable development goal (SDG). This will be achieved by utilizing a top-down mass balance methodology that integrates various data sources and an in-depth analysis of the main food categories at different stages of the food supply chain (FSC). In 2021, Chile generated 5.18 million tons of FLW, with fruit being the largest contributor at 2.5 million tons (48% of total FLW). Vegetables accounted for 0.8 million tons (16%). Other food groups each contributed 1% to 10% of the total FLW. Per capita FLW was 295 kg. FLW varied by food group and FSC stage. Fruits, vegetables, starchy roots, and pulses had the most FLW early in the FSC, while cereals had it later. Comparing FLW with the domestic supply quantity of food, it is observed that 68% of the fruit available for the population was discarded. Vegetables and starchy roots also showed significant volumes of discarded food, with 48% and 29% of the availability of these products in Chile. Furthermore, we explore the implications of FLW on realizing SDG 2—zero hunger, particularly emphasizing its correlation with target 12.3. The research underscores the potential of its findings to significantly shape public policies and strategies concerning FLW and their alignment with the associated SDGs, making a tangible impact on the lives of millions.

Food Safety and Food Loss Reduction Policies and Implications for Agrifood Sector Development in Less Developed Mekong Countries

Food Safety and Food Loss Reduction Policies and Implications for Agrifood Sector Development in Less Developed Mekong Countries

Smallholder-based Mango Value Chain and the Integration of Food Safety and Food Loss Reduction in Cambodia’s Crossborder Trade

Smallholder-based Mango Value Chain and the Integration of Food Safety and Food Loss Reduction in Cambodia’s Crossborder Trade

Impact of Fruit Maturity on Internal Disorders in Vapor Heat Treated Mango Cv. ‘B74’

UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) aims to reduce food losses in production and postharvest stages within supply chains. Identifying and addressing contributors to such losses is crucial to their reduction and to overall supply chain sustainability. Internal disorders (IDs) often contribute to postharvest losses and waste of highly perishable fruits like mangoes. Understanding and addressing influencers of susceptibility is limited but essential. Factors potentially associated with the expression of IDs in ‘B74’ mango commercial supply chains were investigated. Over three fruiting seasons (2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23), 43 export supply chains in Australia were monitored from two major production regions, the Northern Territory and North Queensland. Prior to export, the mangoes were subject to a mandatory phytosanitary vapor heat treatment (VHT) in which they were heated with saturated water vapor to a core temperature 46 °C maintained for 15 min and were then assessed for IDs at the end of their shelf life. The predominant IDs observed in the ‘B74’ fruit were flesh cavity with white patches (FCWP) and flesh browning (FB). VHT-induced FCWP, but not FB. Harvest maturity was identified as a predisposing factor. FB was generally positively correlated and FCWP was typically negatively correlated with fruit maturity at harvest. Relatively more-mature fruit was prone to FB irrespective of VHT, and relatively less-mature fruit was susceptible to FCWP post-VHT. Therefore, selective harvesting and/or sorting for optimum maturity after harvest can be practiced minimizing the incidence and severity of these two IDs in ‘B74’ fruit. Thus, dry matter (DM) sorting can contribute to postharvest loss reduction and the general sustainability of mango supply chains.

Mapping Flows in the Cassava, Rice, Milk, and Fish Supply Chains of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: Is There Any Quiet Revolution Taking Place?

By applying a stacked survey approach to farmers, processors, and intermediaries, this study estimates and maps aggregate flows of fresh and processed cassava, rice, milk, and fish within the Bukavu-Uvira-Kalemie economic corridor of the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). To achieve this, we develop and implement a comprehensive accounting method to better capture the complex set of activities within all four supply chains as well as an alignment procedure to ensure consistency in flows across their stacks. Apart from operating beyond mere subsistence levels, the findings of this study indicate that much of the vibrant agri-food value chain (AVC) developments observed in other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are yet to occur in the Eastern DRC: processing levels and new product development are low; intermediaries remain very present in agri-food markets; food losses are high in the midstream segments; and advance payments to farmers have not disappeared. While these observations provide for a dissonant case study, it underscores the huge potential for future upgrading of AVC in the Eastern DRC.

Investigating Co-Innovation strategies to prevent food loss in the fruits and vegetables sector

The transition towards sustainable food systems implies the exploration of drivers and challenges for the adoption of innovative solutions by the operators on the value chains. The development of innovative approaches is critical to improve the collaboration of different stakeholders on sustainability topics. The Q-methodology combines qualitative and quantitative analysis to navigate subjective stakeholder perspectives, aiming to find shared strategies and enhance collaborative approaches on complex topics. This study employs Q-methodology to investigate stakeholders' viewpoints on reducing food losses in the Italian fruit and vegetable sector, focusing on the upstream phases of the supply chain. The aim is to explore the perspectives of producers, experts, and institutional representatives towards sustainable innovations in food losses prevention and management practices. The integration of technological innovation is described as a key factor, but the adoption process is hampered by structural supply chain burdens. The results enforced the adoption of sustainable technologies by operators, reporting that collaboration can enhance efficiency, quality management, and sustainability during fruit and vegetable production and distribution operations. Innovative solutions to mitigate food losses risk are driven by resource-efficiency network strategies that should imply a positive environmental and social performances. The application of the Q-methodology allows for a deeper understanding of the emerging challenges during the adoption of food loss reduction strategies. The findings reported the significance of collaboration, technological innovation integration, and sustainable practices across the supply chain. This research contributes to the development of effective, stakeholder-supported strategies and informs policymakers in the fruit and vegetable sector about different solutions to mitigate food losses.

Processing and preservation technologies to enhance indigenous food sovereignty, nutrition security and health equity in North America.

Indigenous foods are carriers of traditional native North American food culture and living philosophy. They are featured by the wide varieties in fresh and processed forms, richness in nutrition, flavor, health benefits and diversity in origins, but are usually misunderstood or underrepresented in the modern food systems. Conventional processing and cooking methods are sometimes labor-intensive, less efficient and lack science-based guidelines to prevent unseen safety risks and food loss. Global and regional climate change have caused additional challenges to conventional cooking/processing, and increased native communities' reliance on externally produced foods, which have resulted in increasing nutritional unbalance and prevalence of diet-related health issues. Current and emerging technologies, such as storage and packaging, drying, safety processing, canning, pickling, and fermentation, which treat foods under optimized conditions to improve the safety and extend the shelf-life, are increasingly used in current food systems. Therefore, exploring these technologies for indigenous foods offers opportunities to better preserve their nutrition, safety, and accessibility, and is critical for the sovereignty and independence of indigenous food systems, and sustainability of indigenous food culture. This mini-review focuses on identifying adoptable processing and preservation technologies for selected traditional indigenous foods in North America, summarizing education, extension, and outreach resources and discussing the current challenges and future needs critical to expanding knowledge about indigenous foods and improving food sovereignty, nutrition security, and health equity.

Nudging Householders to Reduce Avoidable Food Waste: The OzHarvest Use It Up Tape

Targeting households with food waste reduction interventions represents a critical opportunity to meet global targets to halve food loss and waste. While the evidence base on the effectiveness of food waste interventions is growing generally, less is known about the outcomes of household-focused interventions. This mixed methods study explores how households experienced a behaviourally orientated nudge (the OzHarvest Use it Up TapeTM) and examines its impact on food waste and behaviour change. The “Tape” served multiple functions for households—including as a visual prompt, a labelling device, a planning tool, and a communication tool—and was more effective for large families and for individuals who were disorganised when shopping and cooking. Significant reductions were also identified in participants’ fresh vegetable and fruit waste and in the total food amounts they wasted. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of behaviourally orientated nudges, like the Tape, in reducing food waste.

Nutrient and metabolite characteristics of the husk, bran and millet isolated from the foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) during polishing

The utilization of byproducts from foxtail millet polishing can reduce food loss and waste. Thus, it is necessary to know the chemical compounds from the millet and the segregation of the layers. The nutrients including minerals were compared among the husk, bran, and millet, and a LC-MS metabolomics analysis was also performed among them. The results showed that the protein, crude fat and 4 fatty acids, seven minerals, the nitrogen-containing compounds and phenolic acids were at much higher levels in the bran part than the husk and millet, whereas the husk only contained higher levels of dietary fibre, and some minerals. The millet section, as the edible part, contained the lowest level of chemical constituents. It illustrated that the bran part contained more functional and nutritional components than the millet and husk part. Therefore, the bran of the foxtail millet should be a food resources instead of wasting.

Exploring differences in the physicochemical and nutritional properties of mango flours and starches

Mangoes contain several components that are beneficial for health, in addition to being potential sources of starch for the food industry. However, a substantial amount of fruit is lost in the field because it does not meet commercial standards, resulting in food losses and environmental damage. Herein, the physicochemical properties of mango flours and starches obtained from different parts of the fruit of two cultivars were evaluated. Mango peel flours have higher levels of proteins, fibers, minerals, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity than pulp flours, in addition to a higher yellowing index and water and oil-holding capacity, and can be used as a functional flour. The pulp flours, with the higher starch content, showed characteristics that make them valuable as a potential ingredient in soft baking and gluten-free products. Mango starches have circular and oval shapes, with a bimodal distribution. All starches showed an A-type crystallinity pattern. Pulp starches showed a higher peak viscosity and breakdown, with a lower setback, and can be used as a thickening or gelling agent. The higher thermal stability of kernel starch suggests its application in sauces, baking, dairy products, and canned foods.