scholarly journals Critical Factors and Emerging Opportunities in Food Waste Utilization and Treatment Technologies

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah L. Jones ◽  
Kristen E. Gibson ◽  
Steven C. Ricke
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Waste Utilization ◽  
Cold Chain ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Federal Policies ◽  
Treatment Technologies ◽  
Food Manufacturer

Globally, approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or discarded, comprising 1. 3 billion tons annually. Factors contributing to food waste from the food manufacturer to the consumer level are numerous. Events that may result in food waste include, but are not limited to, manufacturing food by-products, improper handling within the supply chain (e.g., cold chain deviations), misunderstood food date labels, over-purchasing, and consumer-level temperature abuse. From the manufacturer to consumer, each node in the food supply requires concerted efforts to divert food waste from entering municipal landfills. Depending on the state of the food waste, it is diverted to various outlets, from food donation for consumption to composting for soil amendment. To better understand the opportunities in the United States to divert food waste from landfills, current and emerging federal policies as well as the causes of food waste generation must be understood. Unfortunately, information on both the composition of food waste in the U.S. and how it impacts critical factors in food waste treatment, especially in food waste composting, is limited. Specifically, this review aims to: (1) discuss and compare critical factors that impact the fate of food waste and (2) examine emerging opportunities to advance the processing and products of food waste.

Assessment of the state of food waste treatment in the United States and Canada

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 1486-1494 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.W. Levis ◽  
M.A. Barlaz ◽  
N.J. Themelis ◽  
P. Ulloa
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State

Determination of natural radionuclides in waste generated in the potable water treatment plants of the Zona da Mata of the state of Pernambuco- Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2A) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Muniz De Almeida Albuquerque
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
The United States ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Radiological Protection ◽  
Natural Occurrence ◽  
Water Treatment Plants ◽  
Potable Water Treatment

The water purification procedure aims to obtain a product appropriate for human consumption, minimizing the presence of contaminants and toxic substances present in the water. Among these contaminants, some radionuclides of natural origin, such as uranium, thorium and their descendants, have been identified. Studies have shown that the stages of purification are quite effective in removing the radionuclides contained in water. The removal is due to co-precipitation of the radionuclides with the suspended materials and the precipitated material is accumulated and characterized as a Technologically Concentrated Natural Occurrence Radioactive Material (TENORM) by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This residue can present significant levels of radioactivity and, when discarded in the environment without any treatment, can generate a problem of environmental impact and a risk to the health of the population. In this way, some gamma emitters of the series of U, Th and the K-40 were determined in the residues generated at the Potable Water Treatment Plants – PWTPs in six municipalities of Pernambuco. The results obtain corroborate the classification of the residues generated in the PWTPs as concentrators of the radioactive components contained in the water supplied to the system and reinforce the need for the release to the environment, which is the usual way of disposal of this waste, to be carried out only after considering the radiological protection standards established.

scholarly journals Food Bank Donations in the United States: A Landscape Review of Federal Policies

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 3764
Author(s):  
Katelin M. Hudak ◽  
Emily Friedman ◽  
Joelle Johnson ◽  
Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food System ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Federal Policies ◽  
Food And Beverage

Rates of food insecurity have increased substantially in the United States (US), and more families are turning to the charitable food system to help meet their needs. Prior studies have examined the nutritional quality of foods offered through food banks, but little is known about what government policies may shape the healthy food donation landscape. The purpose of this study was to review US federal policies that impact food and beverage donations to food banks and assess whether policies encourage healthy food donations. In spring 2020, two researchers independently reviewed federal food and beverage donation policies using predefined search terms in two legal databases. We identified six categories of policies based on the existing food donation literature and themes that emerged in the policy review. We identified 42 federal policies spanning six categories that addressed food and beverage donations to food banks. The largest category was “government programs,” with 19 (45%) policies. The next largest category was “donation via schools,” with 12 (29%) policies. However, no policies specifically addressed the nutritional quality of food donations. There is an opportunity for the federal government to strengthen food bank donation policies and improve the nutritional quality of donated foods and beverages.

Can bioplastics be treated in conventional anaerobic digesters for food waste treatment?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 101393
Author(s):  
Federico Battista ◽  
Nicola Frison ◽  
David Bolzonella
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Anaerobic Digesters

scholarly journals COVID-19-Related Changes in Perceived Household Food Waste in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1104
Author(s):  
Kelly Cosgrove ◽  
Maricarmen Vizcaino ◽  
Christopher Wharton
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Binomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Fresh Vegetables

Food waste contributes to adverse environmental and economic outcomes, and substantial food waste occurs at the household level in the US. This study explored perceived household food waste changes during the COVID-19 pandemic and related factors. A total of 946 survey responses from primary household food purchasers were analyzed. Demographic, COVID-19-related household change, and household food waste data were collected in October 2020. Wilcoxon signed-rank was used to assess differences in perceived food waste. A hierarchical binomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine whether COVID-19-related lifestyle disruptions and food-related behavior changes increased the likelihood of household food waste. A binomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the contribution of different food groups to the likelihood of increased food waste. Perceived food waste, assessed as the estimated percent of food wasted, decreased significantly during the pandemic (z = −7.47, p < 0.001). Food stockpiling was identified as a predictor of increased overall food waste during the pandemic, and wasting fresh vegetables and frozen foods increased the odds of increased food waste. The results indicate the need to provide education and resources related to food stockpiling and the management of specific food groups during periods of disruption to reduce food waste.

Food waste treatment option selection through spherical fuzzy AHP

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Aysu Melis Buyuk ◽  
Gul T. Temur
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Option ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Fuzzy Ahp ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Analytic Hierarchy ◽  
Food Treatment ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Option Selection

In line with the increase in consciousness on sustainability in today’s global world, great emphasis has been attached to food waste management. Food waste is a complex issue to manage due to uncertainties on quality, quantity, location, and time of wastes, and it involves different decisions at many stages from seed to post-consumption. These ambiguities re-quire that some decisions should be handled in a linguistic and ambiguous environment. That forces researchers to benefit from fuzzy sets mostly utilized to deal with subjectivity that causes uncertainty. In this study, as a novel approach, the spherical fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (SFAHP) was used to select the best food treatment option. In the model, four main criteria (infrastructural, governmental, economic, and environmental) and their thirteen sub-criteria are considered. A real case is conducted to show how the proposed model can be used to assess four food waste treatment options (composting, anaerobic digestion, landfilling, and incineration). Also, a sensitivity analysis is generated to check whether the evaluations on the main criteria can change the results or not. The proposed model aims to create a subsidiary tool for decision makers in relevant companies and institutions.

scholarly journals Home Composting Method for the Treatment Technologies of Food Waste: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. 012054
Author(s):  
Noor Amira Sarani ◽  
Aeslina Abdul Kadir ◽  
Mohd Ikhmal Haqeem Hassan ◽  
Nur Jannah Abdul Hamid ◽  
Nurul Nabila Huda Hashar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Treatment Technologies ◽  
Home Composting
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document