Food loss and waste could be mitigated by investing in side streams and science, highlights IFT

31 May 2023 --- The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is examining global food insecurity and how to address one of the world’s biggest food challenges – food loss. 

In its latest whitepaper, Food Science and Technology Solutions to Improve Food and Nutrition Security: Reducing Food Loss and Valorizing Food Processing Side Streams, IFT outlines the challenges, solutions, and opportunities in reducing food loss in the middle segment of the value chain, investing in valorization of food processing side streams, and bringing the science of food into efforts aimed at mitigating food loss and waste.

“The numbers are staggering,” says IFT chief science and technology officer Bryan Hitchcock. 

“Approximately one-third of food globally is never consumed, contributing to over one billion tons of food wasted yearly while costing the global economy approximately one trillion dollars annually. Food loss and waste truly is one our greatest environmental, societal and economic problems.”

“This whitepaper is not only a valuable resource toward addressing the food loss and waste crisis, but a call to action to the food and technology community to unite behind science to help ensure global food security,” Hitchcock notes. 

Lack of measurement?
Some of the challenges the global food community must address and overcome are a lack of measurement and target setting, food safety concerns, consumer acceptance and awareness, technological feasibility and scalability, communication and collaboration across the value chain, and limited policy and investment, says IFT.

Approximately one-third of food globally is never consumed, says IFT.“To mitigate food loss, there must be more support for research and innovation in food science, technology solutions for developing new products from food processing side streams, as well as an increase in the technology available to preserve food,” adds Anna Rosales, IFT’s senior director of Government Affairs and Nutrition. 

“Strengthening coordinated efforts among public and private sectors, allocating resources dedicated to food science and technology solutions, and legislative action are also necessary to reducing food loss and waste while feeding the world.”

Upcycling has been a significant theme in F&B, with ingredient innovations spanning from apple and pear side streams to spent brewer’s years. 

Industry on high alert 
Food loss and waste will be a key topic at this year’s IFT FIRST: Annual Event and Expo, held July 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, US.

One of the featured sessions will focus on “reimagining food waste to put the ‘P’ in profit and loss,” which will examine the latest product innovation ideas capitalizing on upcycled food waste or by-products.

Last month, to mark Stop Food Waste Day, FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with players raising awareness of food waste and loss at a time when cost, quality and diminishing resources impact how consumers make purchases. 

Manufacturers are rescuing ingredients and raw materials, such as in the case of upcycled bread items into new foods. 

Meanwhile, some in the F&B industry highlight the challenges of combating food waste to keep the planet cooler and cut farm-to-fork losses. With new data and advice coming from a variety of experts in the field of food waste, it’s becoming increasingly clear that addressing the mammoth issue is not just a good moral choice; it makes business sense, claims suppliers.

Edited by Elizabeth Green