Food industry waste management : technologies for value chain addition

Abstract

Food loss and waste (FLW) generation leads to serious socio-economic and environmental problems such as excess greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pollution, natural resource depletion as well as food insecurity. This is indicative of unsustainable food production and consumption system for a growing world population. Food production industries use various waste management methods for the removal of FLW. These approaches include best and worst practices such as dumping (landfill), incineration, recycling, reusing, treatment technologies [viz. anaerobic digestion (AD)] feeding schemes etc. with each technique containing several advantages and disadvantages. The technologies used for the disposal of FLW from the various food manufacturing sectors have been shown. Furthermore, the impact of FLW across the entire food supply chain as well as on the triple bottom line (i.e. socially, environmentally, economically) has also been explained in this chapter. Solutions to FLW management through FLW minimization/prevention practices, incremental approaches (amelioration of existing practices) and radical innovations (development of novel techniques) have also been elucidated to improve the current systems in place, exercising better control over FLW.