Food Losses and Food Waste in the Context of Sustainable Development of the Food Sector

Globally, about one third of all food produced is wasted every year. Losses take place along the entire food chain and they need to be analyzed and monitored due to their impact on the development of the food sector. In addition to quantitative losses, irrational use of food contributes to the depletion of natural resources （water and energy） and poses a threat to the environment, constituting a barrier to sustainable development of the food sector. The aim of this study was to establish the causes and effects of food waste throughout the food supply chain and to propose mitigation measures. Identified causes of food waste can be divided into two groups. The first are those that lead to the fact that food cannot be consumed （e.g., inadequate conditions of agricultural production and interruption of the cold chain）. In the second, those that cause food cannot be sold （e.g., wrong label and wrong product weight）. Most of the identified causes of food waste can be avoided （e.g., by improving the conditions of production, storage, and transportation）. However, it is not possible to eliminate all potential errors leading to food waste. It is therefore necessary to consider what action to take to use food as intended. One way to reduce losses and food waste can be re-distributing to charity.

Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Droughts and Floods in Shandong Province,China and Their Relationship with Food Loss

Mastering the pattern of food loss caused by droughts and floods aids in planning the layout of agricultural production,determining the scale of drought and flood control projects,and reducing food loss.The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index is calculated using monthly meteorological data from 1984 to 2020 in Shandong Province of China and is used to identify the province’s drought and flood characteristics.Then,food losses due to droughts and floods are estimated separately from disaster loss data.Finally,the relationship between drought/flood-related factors and food losses is quantified using methods such as the Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression.The results show that:1)there is a trend of aridity in Shandong Province,and the drought characteristic variables are increasing yearly while flood duration and severity are decreasing.2)The food losses caused by droughts in Shandong Province are more than those caused by floods,and the area where droughts and floods occur frequently is located in Linyi City.3)The impact of precipitation on food loss due to drought/flood is significant,followed by potential evapotranspiration and temperature.4)The relationship between drought and flood conditions and food losses can be precisely quantified.The accumulated drought duration of one month led to 1.939×10^(4)t of grain loss,and an increase in cumulative flood duration of one month resulted in1.134×10^(4)t of grain loss.If the cumulative drought severity and average drought peak increased by one unit,food loss due to drought will increase by 1.562×10^(4)t and 1.511×10^(6)t,respectively.If the cumulative flood severity and average flood peak increase by one unit,food loss will increase by 8.470×103t and 1.034×10^(6)t,respectively.

An Integrated Framework for Regional Assessment of Water, Energy, and Nutrients from Food Loss of Selected Crops in the Lower Fraser Valley, Canada

Although there is no global shortage of food or water, food security has not been achieved, as human activity has turned these vital resources into “waste”. Wasted food not only loses valuable water resources but embedded calories of human energy and nutrients for healthy human populations. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, in addressing these concerns, focuses on a global scale largely on an economic estimate of individual components of energy or water or nutrient loss. It is suggested that more information is required through local or regional assessments to provide better estimates, incorporating regional factors of the losses along the food supply chain. To address this suggestion, this study focused on an intensive agricultural and rapidly urbanizing region of Canada, the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Seven selected crops, including annual crops such as green peas, sweet corn and potato, and perennial crops that included three berry crops were assessed for their water, both constituent and virtual, as well as embedded energy, protein, and Vitamin C. Annual virtual water losses were higher for sprinkler than drip irrigation, ranging from 82 × 106 kg of water for strawberry to 7570 × 106 kg for blueberry. These high virtual water losses estimated along the food chain confirm the significance of food loss impacts on local water resources. Estimates of losses of food in kg were highest at the consumer level along the food chain and it was estimated that wasted food from the seven crops selected would have supplied the protein and caloric energy of over 33,000 men per year and Vitamin C of about 240,000 men per year. This assessment increases the awareness of food loss impacts from a regional perspective and provides a framework for future research on both environmental and nutritional implications of wasted food.

Construction of New Value Chain Management and Various BOMs for Research Project of SDGs Food Loss Reduction:Case Studies on Circular Economy Sweets Product Planning,Sales Event Holding,and Questionnaire Surveys

Regarding the social problem of food loss in Japan,about 10%-20%of agricultural products(e.g.vegetables and fruits)are seen as“non-standardized foods”or“surplus foods”by the Agricultural Cooperative Association.Those foods are then discarded.The Tamaki Laboratory of the School of Business,Aoyama Gakuin University is promoting the“SDGs Food Loss Regeneration Project”through industry and academic collaboration—as a research study—to solve this social problem.Therefore,the purpose of this research is the following three subjects:(1)Indicate the design of VCM(value chain management).VCM corresponds to the planning,manufacturing,and sales meetings of“SDGs Moist Vegetable Cake”,and the roles of stakeholders engaged in each area of VCM.(2)Design various BOMs(bill of materials)corresponding to the VCM.Describe how to use BOM and the significance of using each BOM in cooperation.(3)In order to verify the effectiveness of the“SDGs Food Loss Regeneration Project”with“SDGs Moist Vegetable Cake”,conduct and analyze questionnaire surveys and consider the results.

Framing Cuisine with Food Loss and Waste as a Combined Nutrition Public Health Priority and Climate Change Mitigation Action

This paper proposes that fortifying honored traditional recipes with natural foods in tandem with preventing food loss and waste adds a new dimension to sustainable food management—nutrient recovery and bioavailability—while reducing the global prevalence of anemia and other diet-induced maladies. Using the complementarity of iron and Vitamin C as an example, this paper demonstrates that we can recover bioavailable nutrients to ensure recovery is efficient. The authors show by example that returning food loss and waste into a healthy food environment can meet the daily and monthly needs of iron-deficiency in substantial portions of the populations with significant need and in all countries. Further, maximizing the availability of key nutrients, like iron, will reduce the stress of animal husbandry on the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions;and thereby, reduce agriculture impacts to climate change and global warming. Considering the quality, quantity, and convenience of food recovery, from farm—and beyond fork—to gut, is key for global policy development in nutrition public health and actions that are ready to implement today.

Water, Energy and Nutrient Losses from Food Wastage of Selected Crops in Three Agro-Climatic Zones in British Columbia, Canada

Food waste is a growing global concern. Data on the factors and magnitude are largely global estimates, thus local studies aid in providing information on the impacts of food waste. Three important agro-climatic zones in British Columbia and nine common crops, both annual and perennial, were selected to evaluate the environmental and nutritional implications of local food waste. Using Canadian estimates of total food waste, the constituent water, caloric content, protein, vitamin C, phosphorus and potassium wasted by each crop were estimated. Regionally, the total production and losses were the highest in the Lower Fraser Valley which had high production of potatoes and blueberries, followed by the Okanagan, with grapes and apples, and Vancouver Island, with potatoes. Virtual water was estimated by the BC Agriculture Water Calculator and used to assess the soil and climatic factors impacting the local water demand. Although soil texture seemed to influence water demand, the agro-climatic zone was the main factor controlling the water demand and the corresponding amount of water wasted. Dry agro-climatic zones had annual virtual water up to two times higher for the same crop and soil texture. Lower water demand crops, finer soils and more efficient irrigation systems were more congruent with water stress scenarios. Total losses for each region were based on conservative estimates and would have supplied the caloric energy and protein for over 40,000 adults, and vitamin C for over 300,000 adults for one year. Additionally, the total N, P and K wasted accounted for up to 32, 2 and 13 kg/ha respectively for common fertilizers used in British Columbia. This study confirmed the significance of food waste impacts on local water demand, human nutrition and soil management based on regional data for representative crops.

Oxidative stress-elevated high gamma glutamyl transferase levels, and aging, intake of tropical food plants, migration and visual disability in Central Africans

·AIM:To investigate the independent pathogenic role of high serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels, sociodemographic data, dietary and environmental risk factors for visual disability (VD). ·METHODS:This was a case-control study, run in 200 black Congolese patients managed in Saint Joseph Hospital Ophthalmology Division from Kinshasa town. Logistic regression model was used to identify determinants of VD (n = 58) among sex, age, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, rural-urban migration, education levels, aging ≥60 years, intake of red Beans, Safou fruit and Taro leaves, lipid profile, residence, socioeconomic status, and GGT. ·RESULTS:After adjusting for confounding factors, we identified migration (OR=3.7 95% CI:1.2-11.3; P =0.023), low education level (OR=3.1 95% CI 1.1-8.5; P =0.026), no intake of Safou fruit (OR=34.2 95% CI 11.5-102; P < 0.0001), age ≥60 years (OR=2.5 95% CI 1.01-6.5; P = 0.049), and serum GGT ≥10U/L (OR=3.6 95% CI 1.3-9.6; P = 0.012) as the significant and independent determinants of VD. ·CONCLUSION:VD appears as a major public health problem in Central Africa to be prevented or delayed by control of migration, lifestyle changes, antioxidant supplements, appropriate diet, nutrition education, and blocking of oxidative stress.

Local Role of Food Producers' Communities for a Global One-Health Framework: The Experience of Translational Research in an Italian Dairy Chain

Community is the foundation of public health: the present paper reports the approach and strategy for intervention on the dairy production community developed by the Italian project ALERT (www.alert2015.it), which implements the transfer of technical innovation and technological know-how from public research. Starting from the local role of primary producers, North-South and South-South networking (www.noodlesonlus.org) is needed to share solutions for transnational problems like climatic change, contaminated agro-farming sites and food waste and losses in the era of food crisis. Based on risk analysis, science-society dialogue and global health, the main drivers of this experience of translational research are One Health, i.e. the web of inter-relationships among environment, farm animals and human health, and sustainable food safety (prevention actions on diet of young women, today, to protect next generation’s health) to increase population life expectancy in good health.

Food and Nutritional Insecurity before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Households of Women Belonging to a Social Program

Introduction: According to the National Health and Nutrition Survey, the Mexican households in 2018 had food insecurity at 55.5% while in 2012 it was 70%. Food insecurity is a global health problem and now with the COVID-19 pandemic, it has increased. Objective: To compare the levels of food and nutritional insecurity in women’s households from two Social Impulse Centers of the Secretary for Human Social Development (SEDESHU) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A comparative and cross-sectional study was carried out in 41 women participating in a nutritional intervention program in two social promotion centers. Food security was measured with the Latin American and Caribbean Food Security Scale (ELCSA), comparing it in a period from January to April 2020: before and during the health contingency. Socio-economic and demographic variables were also measured, as well as access to water during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Food insecurity levels during the COVID-19 contingency were found to have increased by more than 60% (from 31.7% to 93%);the main risk factors associated with unemployment and access to healthy food. The COVID-19 contingency reflects impacts on households, but because women participated in the nutritional intervention program, it could influence by observing that, at least, the use of food was adequate since apparently food waste was minimal. Conclusions: The implementation of an educational nutrition program can be a strategy in the face of contingencies or extraordinary situations. In this way, the negative impact could be less in the population that does not have any type of food education.

粮食产后服务体系建设的国际经验与启示

减少粮食损耗是实现可持续发展和保障粮食安全的重要途径,粮食产后服务体系建设是减少粮食损耗的关键环节。本文在分析中国粮食产后服务发展现状与问题的基础上,梳理了美国、加拿大、日本三个典型国家在发展粮食产后服务方面的一些经验和做法,并结合中国实际情况,探讨了其对中国粮食产后服务体系建设启示和镜鉴。研究结果表明,粮食产业链全商业化运作是美国和加拿大建设完备粮食产后服务体系的基石,先进的全产业链节粮减损技术及政府、企业与农户的合作协调机制是其粮食产后服务体系运行的关键;日本则在引进先进技术的同时,构建了政府、农协、农户三方合力建设的层次分明、规范运作的粮食产后服务体系,有效保障了农民种粮收益。本文据此进一步提出了完善中国粮食产后服务体系建设的对策思路。

Decoding the fruit microbiome:A climate smart strategy to manage postharvest decays

There is an urgent necessity to shift our diets toward those rich in fruits and vegetables and at reduce postharvest losses of perishables.Approximately 20%-50%of fruits and vegetables are lost due to poor postharvest handling and pathogen infections in developing countries while it was estimated as 5%-35%in developed countries. Fresh fruits have evolved with a plethora of microorganisms having important roles in maintaining fruit health. However, little information is available on the dynamics, structure, and functional capacities of underpinning fruit microbiomes. The present review discussed environmental conditions favoring fruit-harbored antagonists and their different modes of action for suppressing postharvest pathogens in fruits. It also provides information on omics technologies such as next-generation sequencing (NGS),metaproteomics, metatranscriptomic, and metabolomics studies to characterize fruit microbiomes. With the advent of NGS and meta-omics technologies, microbiome research could bring remarkable development and understanding in succeeding biological treatments. In addition, they may provide us with a fundamental understanding of microclimate requirements for fruit microbiome establishment and microbiome shifts during post-harvest storage, which would be advantageous in developing composite biocontrol treatments for post-harvest decay management.

数字技术对粮食减损的作用与具体做法探析

保障粮食安全既要增产也要减损,近年来我国粮食总产量不断创新高,但粮食损失和浪费问题依然突出,节粮减损治理仍需深入开展。数字技术的发展对粮食减损具有重要作用,本文简要梳理当前粮食减损及粮食供应链中数字技术应用现状,从粮食生产、粮食流通、食品销售、消费四个领域分析数字技术对粮食减损的作用路径,并对我国粮食减损工作提出相应对策建议。为进一步发挥数字技术对粮食减损的促进作用,减少粮食供应链各环节的损失与浪费,应当完善对粮食损失和浪费的监测与评估,建立常态化粮食损失调查制度;强化政策引导,建立健全粮食减损长效治理机制;培养粮食供应链各主体的数字素养和技能,提升数字技术促进粮食减损治理软实力;从粮食供应链各环节入手,发挥数字技术对节粮减损的促进作用。

Finding Food Security through Changing the Agricultural Model to Sustain Insect Biodiversity

Worldwide biodiversity is being threatened by human activities to a greater level wherein the natural ecosystems are reaching the verge of collapsing. We are faced with four major interrelated challenges namely a changing climate, biodiversity loss, human population growth and food production for this growing population. Agricultural intensification contributes significantly to biodiversity loss. The agricultural model for our current food production systems is mainly based on the Green Revolution, which promoted the cultivation of crops in extensive monoculture fields and intensified external inputs of agrochemicals. This model resulted in biodiversity loss, particularly in insect populations. A model based on ecological intensification as an alternative to agricultural intensification with minimized use of agro-inputs may slow the rate of biodiversity loss resulting in more sustainable agricultural ecosystems.

减肥类保健食品中酚酞、西布曲明基体标准物质的研制

介绍了减肥类保健食品中酚酞、西布曲明基体标准物质的研制过程。采用阴性加标的方式,向保健食品模拟基质中添加酚酞、西布曲明标准溶液,混匀后分装制成保健食品标准样品。采用高效液相色谱-三重四级杆串联质谱法对其中酚酞、西布曲明的含量进行检测,并对样品中酚酞、西布曲明含量的均匀性和稳定性进行评价,5家实验室协作定值,评估定值的不确定度。研制的减肥类保健食品中酚酞、西布曲明基体标准物质定值结果分别为(19.8±2.95)、(18.8±3.03)mg/kg,均匀性和稳定性良好。研制流程和结果符合基体标准物质定值的要求,该标准物质可用于相关基质样品检测的实验室内部质量控制。

基于健康信念理论的轻食智能厨具设计策略——以减肥人群为例

针对减肥人群对肥胖后果认识不到位、健康饮食习惯难以养成的现状,提出基于健康信念理论的轻食智能厨具设计策略。运用健康信念理论分析减肥人群生理、心理、行为特征,得到用户需求和设计机会点,总结出厨具产品在功能、使用、交互方面的触点,结合产品情感化设计原则,从本能层、行为层、反思层提出轻食智能厨具的设计策略。轻食智能厨具设计策略。该方法可为面向健康饮食场景中的轻食厨具产品设计和健康设计的探索扩宽思路。

液相色谱-串联质谱法同时测定食品中10种酚汀类化合物

建立高效液相色谱-串联质谱法快速测定固体饮料、果冻及果蔬汁饮料三种食品基质中双辛酚丁等10种酚汀类化合物的分析方法。样品使用60%乙腈提取,采用Agilent pursuit C18色谱柱(2.1 mm×100 mm,1.8μm)分离,以10 mmoL/L乙酸铵溶液-乙腈为流动相进行梯度洗脱,通过电喷雾离子源的正负离子扫描模式对三种食品基质中的酚汀类化合物进行定性定量检测。研究结果表明:10种化合物在1.00〜50.0μg/L浓度范围内具有良好的线性关系(r^(2)均大于0.997),检出限均为10.0μg/kg,定量限均为20.0μg/kg,在低、中、高3水平加标,其回收率为80.1%〜106%,相对标准偏差RSD为1.20%〜6.33%(n=6)。该方法专属性好,灵敏度高,前处理简单快速,适用范围广,可用于不同食品基质中非法添加双辛酚丁等10种酚汀类化合物的快速筛查和定量测定。

减少蔬菜全产业链损失与浪费助力食物系统可持续发展

蔬菜的损失与浪费不仅造成了巨大的经济损失,同时对环境也造成了诸多负面影响。为了减少蔬菜全产业链的损失与浪费,助力食物系统可持续发展,对蔬菜的生产、产后处理、贮存、加工、流通、消费等环节的损失与浪费情况进行梳理,总结了全产业链损失和浪费率高、产后处理环节损失严重、减损潜力巨大等蔬菜损失与浪费的特征,分析了自然灾害、相关基础设施不足、供需信息不对称、非标准化操作、消费者偏好、不合理的消费行为等造成蔬菜损失与浪费的主要成因,阐述了蔬菜损失与浪费对资源和环境的影响,在梳理目前我国减少食物损失与浪费所采用的主要举措的基础上,提出了促进全产业链可持续发展的管理策略,包括多方合力制定减少食物减损行动方案、强化监管推进全链条减损标准建设、总结试点经验形成示范推广、加强教育引导文明健康消费理念等。

粮食供应链减损分析与对策研究

粮食供应链粮食减损问题在中国是一个长期受到重视的问题,每降低1%的粮食损失率,就能挽回数量相当可观的粮食。目前学者对粮食供应链、粮食损失的研究成果主要集中在粮食收获、储存环节,针对粮食供应链全链条粮食损失和数字领域在粮食供应链中的应用的研究比较少。文章综述了众多学者此前对粮食在各环节的损失率和总体损失率的研究,结合现实生活中存在的一些导致粮食损失、浪费现象,针对目前中国粮食供应链中存在的问题,提出了粮食供应链减损对策。

人工种植牙邻接触丧失应对策略的专家共识

人工种植牙邻接触丧失(proximal contact loss,PCL)所引发的问题是近年研究热点,学者们一致致力于其原因和相关因素分析,旨在寻求解决与PCL相关问题的方案。前驱力作用、颌骨及牙槽窝等终身改建以及种植牙的骨整合特性是PCL的主要原因。一方面,下颌的闭口运动通过后牙牙尖产生了将牙齿往近中移位的前驱力,使上下颌后牙、下颌前牙近中漂移,同时,可使上下颌前牙唇向移位;另一方面,颌骨、牙槽窝、牙根的改建以及咀嚼肌的前向水平分力、下颌向前向上的动力分量以及牙尖斜面产生的向前分力使天然牙向近中漂移;此外,天然牙终身具备水平、垂直向移位以及旋转的能力,以适应口颌系统的改建和维持口腔的功能,而种植牙骨整合缺乏天然的牙周膜,缺乏近中漂移生理基础,垂直向平均动度微小,种植牙骨整合沉默性不具备天然牙整体漂移特点,增加了PCL发生的可能性。PCL高发生率与戴牙时间和近中位置有明显相关性,但也受咬合力大小、对颌牙状况、邻牙情况、修复方式、牙位、上下颌骨、年龄、性别等因素影响。PCL与食物嵌塞呈显著相关性,但并不一一对应,不满足充分必要条件。PCL也与种植体周病变以及龋齿等有关。PCL的预防包括知情同意、定期检查、固位方式选择、接触点增强、配戴保持器以及应用多用途数字化牙冠。PCL的处理包括邻接触点增补、正畸牵引以及咬合调整。现有方法可以短期解决食物嵌塞情况,综合干预以寻求稳定的远期效果。对称、平衡的考量将拓展处理有关PCL引发的问题。

生鲜食品物流中的损耗控制与品质保持策略

加强生鲜食品物流中的损耗控制与品质保持,对于提升顾客体验、增强企业竞争力以及促进食品行业可持续发展具有重要意义。但当前生鲜食品物流领域存在冷链物流体系不健全、物流操作不规范、包装与保鲜技术落后以及损耗与品质监控缺失等问题。为确保生鲜食品在物流过程中保持高品质、减少损耗,提升顾客满意度与忠诚度,增强企业的竞争力与盈利能力,推动食品行业向更加绿色、健康、可持续的方向发展,建议采取加强冷链物流体系建设、规范物流操作流程、提升包装与保鲜技术以及建立完善的损耗与品质监控体系等改善措施。