Food Safety a Key Factor in Achieving a Sustainable Food Supply

Along these lines, Paula Pendley, JD, a partner at the Environmental & Tort Practice Group, Lathrop GPM LLP, a law firm in Dallas, Texas, says that food producers should strive to use recycled materials in portions of their packaging when possible, while also maintaining freshness and protecting food from food-borne diseases or chemical contamination during transportation. “By using recycled materials, producers can support food sustainability by minimizing the environmental footprint of packaged food and reducing food waste accumulation, which can reduce costs over time,” Pendley says. “Consumer demand for companies to show how they’re being green can also increase market pressure to use recycled goods.”

Pendley provides a word of caution, though—any packaging that directly touches food must meet federal regulatory requirements, and packages must meet certain specifications to allow for temperature fluctuations and high humidity. “Some companies are working on that, as well as innovating packaging that will extend food shelf life, thereby reducing food waste,” she adds.

Another food packaging initiative that supports sustainability is printing information directly on packaging, rather than applying an additional label to it, Pendley says. This would enable food producers to save on packaging costs, reduce paper waste disposal, and reduce their carbon footprint.

According to Kroes, other food packaging initiatives making headway include switching to reusable or compostable packaging, offering recyclable packaging that can withstand heat and hold liquids, and experimenting with new approaches to packaging. For example, USDA researchers have developed an edible, biodegradable packaging film made of casein, a milk protein, that can be wrapped around food to prevent spoilage. And, Apeel Sciences has developed a natural coating that adds a layer of tasteless, odorless, plant-based protection onto the surface of fruits and vegetables, which helps produce last twice as long.

Reducing Food Waste

An estimated 40% of grown foods in the U.S. are wasted, which occurs throughout every step of the value chain. “Finding creative solutions and secondary markets is key,” says Chartier. This waste consumes more than $218 billion, or 1.3% of the gross domestic product, in growing, processing, transportation, and disposal costs. Internationally, approximately one-third of all global food production is either lost or wasted annually, at an estimated price tag of $940 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

However, the food industry can play a leading role in addressing the problem throughout the food distribution chain, from growing and production, to processing, to retail and food services, according to a recent report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Many proposed solutions involve new technologies. Some involve creation of digital apps using blockchain or the Internet of Things (IoT) so food manufacturers and consumers can trace products throughout the distribution chain.

“By using open technologies, like IBM Cloud, blockchain, IoT, and visual recognition, [software] developers are creating solutions to generate better insights about where waste happens, how to track it, and how to share this data across supply chains,” John Walicki, chief technology officer in IBM’s Cognitive Applications Group, told Food Quality & Safety in an interview in 2019.

Agriculture’s Role

Farmers can increasingly use innovative technologies to reduce waste and increase sustainability at the beginning of the food chain. This is a significant development, since the Food and Agriculture Organization has reported that farmers lose 20% to 40% of their crops to pests and diseases. For example, some farmers are now using autonomous scouting drone technology to spot pests and diseases sooner and apply pesticides only where and when they’re needed. This technique benefits both the farmer’s bottom line and the environment, Kroes says.

In another effort, greenhouse production is emerging as a proposed solution to deliver fresh food in urban areas without the challenges of distribution or extended shelf lives. “We can now grow crops in areas and times of year that would otherwise be impossible,” Daniels says. “These systems also tout the ability to be safer because of the closed system and lack of exposure to vectors of contamination. However, this is only true as long as there isn’t a breach in the system which could lead to widespread contamination of the entire system.”

A Time to Act

Knowing that demands on the world’s food supply will continue to grow, industry players should focus their efforts on meeting those needs with strategies to increase food sustainability and safety. Notable initiatives are already underway but, according to experts, more needs to be done to stop hunger rates from rising.