Nutritional data management of food losses and waste under a life cycle approach: Case study of the Spanish agri-food system

Abstract

Food losses and waste (FLW) tend to be referred to in terms of mass, occasionally in economic terms, disregarding the nutritional-cost nexus of such losses. This work aims to estimate the nutritional food losses and waste (NFLW) of the Spanish agri-food system in terms of energy, macronutrients, fibre, and vitamins and minerals along the entire supply chain. Nutritional food losses (NFL) occurring prior to the distribution level, and nutritional food waste (NFW) at the retail and consumption stages, are distinguished, and 48 representative food commodities and 32 nutrients are characterised. To provide insight into the extent of these values, the results are compared to the equivalent recommended daily intake. Moreover, the NFLW for an average Spanish citizen is compared to that for other representative diets: Mediterranean, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and vegan, in addition to the Spanish recommended guidelines. Finally, a Nutritional Cost Footprint (NCF) indicator combining nutritional and economic variables is proposed to define recovery strategies. The results suggest that 1016 kcal, 70.7 g proteins, 22 g dietary fibre, 975 mcg vitamin A, 117 mg vitamin C and 332 mg calcium daily per capita are embedded within Spanish FLW. Agricultural production accounts for 40% of NFLW, and fruits and vegetables are the categories with the largest potential for nutritional and economic food wastage mitigation. Results from this paper provide NFLW data and analysis to strengthen and simplify the decision-making process of FLW management strategies.

Use of Polyphenols as Modulators of Food Allergies. From Chemistry to Biological Implications

“…In the last years, the agricultural and food sector has been challenged with a continuous growing demand for nutritious foods, owing to the dramatic increase of world's population and changes in human dietary habits (Mathys et al, 2018). At present, it is estimated that more than 800 million people around the globe are still suffering from hunger, even though recent numbers indicate that almost one third of the food destined for human feeding is lost or wasted (Garcia-herrero et al, 2019). The agricultural sector generates, by now, ∼140 billion tons of organic wastes per year (Dedousi et al, 2017;Zuin and Ramin, 2018;Gullón et al, 2020).…”

Food Losses and Waste: A Needed Assessment for Future Policies

“…FLW also contribute to climate change with GHG emissions [ 3 , 4 ] and have a considerable water and land footprint [ 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. On the other hand, FLW implies concerns over food security [ 8 , 9 ] and malnourishment [ 10 , 11 ] and distributive issues of a non-sustainable global food and agriculture system in a context of a growing world population [ 12 ]. Thus, FLW and obesity are rising in EU and, simultaneously, 33 million people cannot afford a quality meal every second day making food assistance indispensable in several Member States.…”

Looking for Answers to Food Loss and Waste Management in Spain from a Holistic Nutritional and Economic Approach

“…These FLW lead to a great imbalance between developing and developed countries, with more than 90% of the global undernourished people living in Asia and Africa [8]. Therefore, several measures focused on the different stages (production, postharvest, storage, distribution, and consumption) of the FSC are required to enhance food security [9] and to face the challenge of feeding the world's population sustainably [10]. Some remarkable measures are improving farmers' livelihoods by marketing perishable food crops to reduce post-harvest losses of these products.…”

“…From an economic point of view, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimated that wasting 1300 million tons of food produced around USD 1 trillion of economic costs per year, whereas environmental costs reach around USD 700 billion and social costs around USD 900 billion [11]. At the European level, economic losses reached €143 billion in 2012, with two-thirds of the costs being related to household consumption [9]. In environmental terms, FLW supposes a great squandering of energy, water, and material resources, as well as the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), among other pollutants.…”

“…Recently, some authors combined some of these variables to have a holistic approach since more complex metrics include additional relevant aspects to support the decisionmaking process. For instance, García-Herrero et al [9] assessed the energetic and environmental efficiency of the Spanish agri-food system using a life cycle approach. Authors defined a nutritional and economic index called Nutritional Cost Footprint (NCF) for the supply chain of the Spanish food system to define recovery strategies.…”