Life cycle assessment of minas frescal cheese and cured minas cheese: a comparative analysis

Abstract

Brazil is a large producer of dairy products, with an important role of milk in the country's economy beyond the nutritional aspects. In turn, the dairy industry is associated with environmental impacts, such as water and energy consumption, waste generation, liquid effluents, and atmospheric emissions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is an environmental management tool used to measure the environmental impacts of goods, services, and products. This study used the LCA to assess the impacts resulting from the production of Minas Frescal and cured Minas cheese in an artisanal production facility in Casimiro de Abreu, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. LCA results showed that the most significant environmental impacts were associated with the dairy farm under study, which is a source of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from livestock, particularly methane (CH4), produced through enteric fermentation and manure decomposition, mainly contributing for the impact categories of climate change (31.56%) and human toxicity with carcinogenic effects (35.46%). The cured Minas cheese presented higher impacts when compared to Minas Frescal cheese due to the larger volume of milk used in the manufacturing process. Thus, the present study suggested mitigation measures to lower the environmental impacts based on adjustments in animal feed to reduce atmospheric emissions.

Long-term relationships of beef and dairy cattle and greenhouse gas emissions: Application of co-integrated panel models for Latin America

“…Enteric fermentation was also identified the main source of CH 4 emissions in Colombia [ 42 , 63 ]. At the micro level, a life-cycle analysis of a dairy farm in Brazil estimated that CH 4 emissions contribute to climate change with 36.46 % [ 64 ]. In Nicaragua, in a sample of 30 cattle farms, significant reductions in CH 4 emissions in cattle farming were achieved among those farmers that used quality forage and good husbandry practices [ 65 ].…”

Cleaner production in the dairy industry: good practices in a dairy plant in the municipality of Valença – Rio and Janeiro, Brazil

“…Pantoja et al (2022) studied the dairy cow and buffalo industries and found the possibility of recovering waste in the buffalo milk production chain, aimed at increasing income and reducing waste generation. Silva et al (2023) evaluated the life cycle of Minas Frescal cheese and matured Minas cheese. Matured Minas cheese had greater impacts when compared to Frescal, due to the greater volume of milk used in the manufacturing process.…”