The Potential for Reducing Food Waste through Shelf-Life Extension: Actionable Insights from Data Digitization

Abstract

Digital, practical, user-friendly tools generate actionable insights for the food industry to develop effective food waste reduction strategies. This study aimed to develop a methodology behind a digital food waste estimator that may be used to calculate the potential food waste reduction and the environmental and nutritional reach impact by extending the shelf life of foods. The methodology for this tool incorporates a straightforward algorithm and robust data sources. Additionally, two case studies were analyzed and discussed to demonstrate the tool’s application and effectiveness. The results from the food waste estimator revealed that by increasing the shelf life of poultry meat by 40%, waste could be reduced by 6–7%, CO2 emission by 457–567 kg, and water usage by 656,571–814,149 L/1000 kg of product. Meanwhile, by increasing the shelf life of bread by 20%, waste can be reduced by 5–6%, CO2 emission by 155–192 kg, and water usage by 248,000–307,520 L/1000 kg of product. This study demonstrated that the fundamental mathematical approach to and assumptions behind the food waste estimator can be effectively used to determine the potential for food waste reduction and environmental impact by extending a product’s shelf life. Extending the shelf life of food may reduce environmental impact and food waste.