Food waste appears along almost the entire length of the supply chain, at all participants, from harvesting to transportation, storage, the shelves of commercial chains, all the way to the consumer’s kitchen and table. It is a global phenomenon with extremely serious consequences both economically and ecologically.
According to the definition of the NÉBIH (National Food Safety Office) “as food waste all food or food materials that are not consumed by humans for any reason count. Among them are the so-called unavoidable (e.g. bones, coffee grounds, eggshells) and avoidable (e.g. expired, spoiled due to improper storage) waste. For food waste products belonging to the latter category are counted, which are wasted solely due to human inattention“. We can waste both ready-made food and raw materials.
Let’s look behind the numbers!
According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) data, 14% of all food produced on Earth, worth about 400 billion dollars, is lost every year starting from the harvest, and there is more 17% loss at the commercial and consumer levels.
In 2019, 931 million tons of food waste was generated globally, of which 61% came from households, 26% from catering and 13% from commerce.
According to Eurostat’s 2022 report, 57 million tons of food waste is generated in the European Union every year from the farm to the table, which is 127 kg/person for an average EU citizen. This shows a decrease compared to the most recent data from 2012, when the amount of food waste per person was estimated at 173 kg. More than half of this is food waste generated in households. In the case of households, the figures have also moved in the direction of decrease, the previous amount of 92 kg/person/year is now 70 kg/person/year. Compared to the EU average, less food waste is generated in Hungary (66 kg/person). The amount of avoidable food waste (what we call waste) is 25.2 kg/person/year, which is a 24% decrease compared to 2016 data, according to the survey of the NÉBIH Maradék Nélkül Program. Based on these, in addition to food prices in September 2022, an average Hungarian citizen wastes HUF 35,000 worth of food per year (however, considering the current economic processes, it may be worth correcting the amount). Household food waste in our country is still significant, 245,000 tons per year. 450,000 people could live well for a year from the food they bought unnecessarily and then threw away, so that they would receive 3 generous meals every day.
These data are particularly thought-provoking in light of the fact that, based on the latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2021, every third person in the world (approximately 2.31 billion people) had food insecurity, i.e. to a severe or less severe degree , but they were starving.
Locations of food waste generation
Changes and improvements can be made in every element of the supply chain, which can drastically reduce the amount of waste generated. For example, it is worth thinking about the amount that can be sold already during production, or to think about alternative ways of using surpluses and by-products, since the remaining food means additional costs and waste for producers and processors.
Waste can be generated due to improper transport and storage (e.g. insufficient cooling) or due to sorting. Trading standards are very strict. For example, in the case of fruit and vegetables, size, weight, color, ripeness, freshness, etc. must be met within very narrow limits. Apples that do not meet the expected diameter or color will not be accepted by the retailer. There’s a good chance it ends up as waste. This can be up to 14–21% of the fruit and vegetable harvest in developed countries, where much stricter consumer demands must be met in the retail trade.
Fortunately, food waste is getting more and more attention, and most food companies and retail chains are making efforts and commitments to reduce food waste. It is worth following them closely, this information is available on their websites in most cases.
In addition to waste reduction, donation is becoming increasingly popular in Hungary, that is, the offering of still edible, high-quality food to state, church and civil organizations that provide for the needy. It is worth knowing that in accordance with the latest regulations of the European Union, even expired perishable foods can now be donated (of course, this is still prohibited in the case of fresh goods).
Source: National Association of Hungarian Dietitians
The article was published in Patika Magazin Rejtvényújság.
July-August 2023
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
