The challenge of food loss and waste

Food loss and waste are growing sources of concern worldwide. Enough food is produced to feed the 8 billion of us on the planet, yet millions still go to bed hungry1. More than one-third of all food is wasted– but recovering just half of it would be enough to feed the world.

Food production is an area that is important to drive sustainable change, and we believe we can help. Efficient production facilities, food processing technologies and packaging solutions can improve food supply chains and build resilience into food systems.

Processing technology to reduce loss & waste

Our aseptic processing and packaging solutions have made it possible to protect perishable foods, extending their shelf life and helping reduce food waste. Developments in new food processing technology are another area where we can increase efficiencies to further prevent food loss and waste during production.

Cutting-edge equipment and processes set the bar for keeping food from being spilt or spoilt during the production process, even at the early stages. Efficient processing equipment such as the Tetra Pak® VCC vertical blender is optimised to preserve particle size and shape during cottage cheese production. As more than 90% of particles are maintained within the accepted size range after blending, manufacturers can prevent product damage and leftover in the machines, reducing loss, compared with conventional horizontal blenders.

Tetra Pak package portfolio

Long shelf life, less food waste

Packages​ designed to prolong food life help prevent it from perishing. Offering a variety of package sizes and closures means you can choose the right fit for your local consumers: so food can keep for longer without spoiling. For example, when one of our customers in Japan realised their older consumers were struggling to finish a litre-sized product, we were able to offer half-litre or 900 ml alternatives, thereby reducing consumer waste.

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Turning by-products into food

We are working with partners to turn by-products from food production into added-value ingredients, reducing food waste and making the most of raw materials.

A collaboration with EnginZyme explores the use of technology that expands the applicability of enzymes eg converting large volumes of acid whey from fresh cheese into added-value ingredients such as fibre.

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1Action Against Hunger. (2022). World Hunger Facts. Source: Actionagainsthunger.org

2WWF. (2022). Save 1/3. Source: Saveonethird.org

3Sustainable food systems mean growing, producing, processing, packaging, distributing and consuming food without negatively impacting the planet. Retrieved from OECD. (2019). Accelerating Climate Action. Source: OECD iLibrary