Kerry’s Meals Waste Estimator is a user-friendly device for meals producers and shoppers alike, offering useful insights on the best way to start lowering waste within the residence
31 December 2024
3 minute learn
“Is that this bread nonetheless good?”
“I don’t know — examine the expiration date.”
“Use by,” “Promote by” and “Finest by” dates on meals packaging will be useful indicators of how lengthy a client can retailer a meals merchandise earlier than consuming, however typically these dates result in excessive portions of wasted meals.
About one-fifth of meals produced for human consumption is discarded earlier than it may be eaten, equating to 1 billion meals a day and contributing to international meals insecurity.
New analysis from the College of Georgia Division of Meals Science and Know-how means that extending shelf life is an efficient technique for meals waste discount and conserving assets. The research was carried out in collaboration with meals and beverage analysis and growth agency Kerry Inc., developer of the Kerry Meals Waste Estimator, a digital device that may assist shoppers and producers make extra knowledgeable selections about waste discount.
Extending shelf life to scale back meals waste
After buying the meals additive firm Niacet in 2021, professionals from Kerry joined researchers from the lab of Kevin Mis Solval, an affiliate professor within the School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, to check how extending meals shelf life utilizing pure or natural salts and different methods might contribute to meals waste discount. Their findings counsel that shelf-life extension not solely reduces meals waste but in addition “delivers measurable environmental advantages and useful resource financial savings,” in accordance with a press launch from the corporate.
“Our findings bridge scientific experience with real-world trade purposes, driving significant change to extend meals safety and sustainability on a world scale,” stated Vondel Reyes, first creator of the research and a analysis skilled in Mis Solval’s lab.
With this analysis, meals shelf-life extension has the potential to create actual change in how individuals preserve and retailer meals. In growing markets the place making staple meals is a day by day activity and hotter climates the place meals spoilage is widespread, meals which have extra longevity and are simply preserved can improve financial alternatives by lowering meals preparation duties and decrease environmental impression.
“This peer-reviewed analysis offers scientific insights into how shelf life might successfully cut back meals waste, and credibility to the methodology with which we reveal the incremental impression per added shelf-life day as a p.c enhance,” Mis Solval stated.
Kerry Meals Waste Estimator
Launched in 2022, the Kerry Meals Waste Estimator is a user-friendly device for meals producers and shoppers alike, offering useful insights on the best way to start lowering waste within the residence.
Mis Solval and his staff started working with Kerry Inc. in 2023, offering concepts and strategies to validate the brand new device’s potential. They examined the Meals Waste Estimator in opposition to two situations involving potential meals waste discount if the proportion of product wasted was identified or unknown, and in two meals, bread and poultry.
The outcomes of the research confirmed that “whatever the distinction between the 2 case research modeled, utilizing the meals waste estimator constructed on the precept of shelf-life extension might assist cut back meals waste and damaging environmental impacts whereas additionally making a optimistic contribution to social fairness.”
For producers, the estimator guides the person to enter product kind, area, manufacturing quantity and present waste knowledge to calculate how a lot waste will be lowered and the best way to extra effectively use their assets. Equally, the estimator elements family measurement and weekly grocery price range to point out the buyer the environmental advantages of lowering meals waste.
“The Kerry Meals Waste Estimator empowers each producers and shoppers to make impactful choices that considerably cut back meals waste and drive sustainability ahead,” stated Emma Cahill, international advertising director at Kerry. “With UGA’s validation, this device is pivotal in optimizing assets, conserving the surroundings, and advancing meals safety.”
For extra data or to check out the device, go to discover.kerry.com/food-waste-estimator. Study extra in regards to the SMART Meals Processing Lab beneath Mis Solval at web site.caes.uga.edu/smartfoodprocessinglab.
