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The concept of food waste and food loss prevention and measuring tools.

Florentios EconomouGeoria ChatziparaskevaIliana PapamichaelPantelitsa LoiziaIrene VoukkaliJose Navarro-PedreñoEleftheria KlontzaDemetris F LekkasVincenzo NaddeoAntonis A Zorpas
Published in: Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA (2024)
Food waste (FW) has become a global concern, with an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes lost annually, costing about $1 trillion. Environmental and social consequences of FW are significant, contributing to 6% of European Unions' greenhouse gasemissions and affecting global food security. FW occurs is a complex issue occurring at various stages of the food supply chain (FSC) and is influenced by multiple factors such as infrastructure, available knowledge and socio-economic conditions. Developed countries FW is more prevalent at the consumption stage, whereas in the developing countries losses occur in agricultural production, post-harvest and distribution stage. Accurate quantification of FW across the supply chain is crucial and monitoring key performance indicators helps identify areas for improvement. The European Union mandates FW measurement, aligning with sustainable development goals, emphasizing the need for effective waste prevention measures. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature review on FW key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitoring tools. The research identified 22 KPIs, categorized into three levels of the FSC: primary, secondary and tertiary. The most common KPIs included FW per capita, FW per portion and FW percentage. The study further discusses FW prevention measures and essential monitoring tools for addressing FW throughout the supply chain.
Keyphrases
  • systematic review
  • healthcare
  • human health
  • emergency department
  • heavy metals
  • risk assessment
  • randomized controlled trial
  • mass spectrometry
  • climate change
  • global health
  • sewage sludge
  • municipal solid waste