'A call to action': IFT white paper addresses food loss and waste

Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists has released a white paper that examines global food insecurity and ways the industry can address food loss.

Called "Food Science and Technology Solutions to Improve Food and Nutrition Security: Reducing Food Loss and Valorizing Food Processing Side Streams," the report is the result of a virtual roundtable discussion by IFT’s Food & Nutrition Security Steering Committee, according to a news release.

The committee outlined challenges, solutions and opportunities in reducing food loss in the middle segment of the value chain, investing in the valorization of food processing side streams and bringing the science of food into efforts aimed at mitigating food loss and waste, the release said. 

“The numbers are staggering,” IFT Chief Science and Technology Officer Bryan Hitchcock said in the release. “Approximately one-third of food globally is never consumed, contributing to over one billion tons of food wasted each year 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 it’s a call to action to the food and technology community to unite behind science to help ensure global food security.”

The report said some of the key challenges facing the global food community include:

• A lack of measurement and target setting.
• Food safety concerns.
• Consumer acceptance and awareness.
• Technological feasibility.
• Scalability.
• Communication and collaboration across the value chain.
• Limited investment.
   

“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,” Anna Rosales, IFT’s senior director of government affairs and nutrition, said in the release. “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.”

Food loss and waste will be a featured topic at this year’s IFT First: Annual Event and Expo, set for July 16-19 at McCormick Place in Chicago, the release said.