The nexus between food safety and sustainability

Words by Deon Mahoney

In recent years, the term sustainability has dominated conversations about our ability to safely co-exist on this planet, whilst concomitantly meeting our current needs and those of future generations.

Sustainability is increasingly a focus for the food industry, as it is responsible for a large portion of land usage, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste production and other environmental issues affecting society.

The food industry is criticised on a routine basis for everything from deforestation, water use, animal welfare, its carbon footprint, to food waste. The way forward involves recognition of the need to be more sustainable, and the generation of new ideas, technologies and strategies to safeguard the future of the industry.

What is meant by sustainability?

Unfortunately, there is no agreed definition of the term sustainability. Its meaning varies depending upon the context and the situation, implying different things to stakeholders along the food supply chain.

For the consumer it manifests itself as concerns about the proliferation of single use packaging and avoidance of food waste, while for the agricultural producer it is about managing the soil to retain its health and productivity and securing access to suitable inputs such as water.

As far back as 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs 1 Subsequently, the United Nations delineated its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, creating a framework for improving the lives of people, whilst lessening the effects of climate change, and promoting sustainable ways for using the planet’s natural resources.

Sustainability of the food supply chain

Global food production generates sufficient food to feed ten billion people, but as much as one third of all food is wasted through inefficiencies and poor management.2 These losses occur at every stage along the supply chain, and impact not only sustainability but also food security.

But sustainability is more than just reducing or limiting food waste. Motivated operators along the food supply chain are expanding the use of renewable energy, adopting circular initiatives, and striving to reduce emissions.

At specific locations, targeted initiatives seek to reduce deforestation; improve agricultural productivity; boost soil health using amendments such as bio-based fertilisers; and enhance waste valorisation, water reclamation, and reuse. Food transport companies are utilising modern fuel-efficient refrigerated transport and warehousing to reduce energy use and GHG emissions.

Meanwhile, consumers are encouraged to adopt practices which reduce food waste, compost food packaging, and consider diets which embody more environmentally friendly production methods.

Sustainability and food safety

An important aspect of securing and protecting natural resources is the unequivocal need to protect public health and safety. Food supply chains are by their very nature long and complex, so achieving a balance between food safety and sustainability is not always obvious, transparent or even well understood.

For this reason, actions designed to guarantee both food safety and sustainability must cut across the entire food supply chain and foster engagement with all entities involved in food production. But are we seeing sufficient analysis of the impact of sustainable practices throughout the supply chain and their bearing on the objective of having safe food products? Unfortunately, approaches designed to improve sustainability are often poorly aligned with strategies that assure food safety.

What is required is the exchange of ideas and the flow of reliable information and data which supports the identification of opportunities where food safety and sustainability programs can be melded to achieve safe and financially viable solutions.

Manure usage in agricultural production

Sustainable farming practices promote the use of manure, compost and green waste in order to reverse the negative impacts of conventional agriculture, regenerate soil and produce higher yields. However, the principal source of food safety hazards found in agricultural soils are soil amendments such as animal manure, compost and biosolids obtained from sewage treatment plants.

While these amendments may restore soil biota, there is the potential that pathogens (bacterial, viral and protozoan) may be introduced into the soil, contaminating ensuing food crops or grazing animals.

A further concern is that manures can be a source of chemical hazards, such as heavy metals and pharmaceuticals. Plus, if antibiotics have been administered to animals during animal production, they may appear in the manure and potentially create residue issues or promote the development of antimicrobial resistance.

While such circular food systems are considered a key for future sustainable food production, a major issue is the emergence and potential accumulation of food safety hazards.3 This has led to industry standards placing strict requirements regarding the use of these types of soil amendments, with exclusion periods between manure application and crop harvesting making it impractical

Sector Sustainability issues

Agricultural production

• Deforestation

• Land usage and soil degradation

• Water use, pollution, and eutrophication

• Biodiversity loss

• Use of hazardous chemicals

Food safety consequences

• Manure – introduces microbiological hazards

• Water reuse –chemical and microbiological hazards

Postharvest handing and processing

• Air and noise emissions

• Contamination of land and water

• Energy use

• Disposal of effluent and waste

• Food packaging

• Handling and processing compromise good manufacturing and good hygienic practices

• Contamination

Transportation

• GHG emissions –refrigeration and transportation

• Long supply chains

• Food safety and quality concerns

Distribution centres and retail

Consumer

• Food packaging

• Food waste

• GHG emissions

• Food waste

• Energy use in cooling and cooking

• Food packaging to use manures in many situations. Heat treated or properly composted manures represent a safe alternative to raw manure.

Water reclamation

Water scarcity is an ongoing concern, with reduced access to high quality water considered a major issue globally. Water saving, enhanced irrigation efficiency, and techniques to reduce water loss should be a priority. However, increasingly, reclamation and reuse of wastewater are considered as sustainable approaches to mitigate water scarcity issues in agricultural production and as a means of natural resource conservation.

Despite the benefits of water reclamation and reuse, there are many concerns regarding human health and the environment.

Conventional wastewater treatment plants are designed to remove organic matter, total solids and nutrients, but their capacity to remove micropollutants, heavy

• Contamination via handling

• Failure to chill foods

• Failure to chill foods

• Failure to adequately cook food metals and other environmental contaminants is lacking, and must be considered when using reclaimed water on crops.

If not adequately monitored, reclaimed water may have harmful effects on soil, and result in contaminants being taken up by crops and animals, leading to public health concerns. At the very least, reclaimed water should meet strict microbiological and chemical parameters, particularly when used on crops such as leafy vegetables or in food production facilities.

Sustainable food packaging

Food without packaging is often seen as the most sustainable solution, yet the reality is that packaging supports food safety, maintains the quality of food along the supply chain, and serves an important role in reducing food waste. Avoidance of food waste represents a critical packaging attribute.

An essential feature of food packaging is its functionality – its ability to protect a product on its passage along the supply chain until it reaches the consumer. It needs to withstand the demands of transport and storage environments, playing a key role in ensuring the safety and quality of food products. This cannot be ignored when considering sustainability.

Consumer perceptions of food packaging include concerns about consumption of non-renewable resources, energy usage and management of the resultant waste. Hence the trend towards the use of 100% recyclable packages and compostable flexible packaging. When exploring a shift towards sustainable packing there must be consideration of environmental criteria, consumer expectations, commercial realities and the functionality of the package. When examining improvements in sustainability, it is essential to determine if the packaging can be reduced or modified to enable it to be re-used or recycled without compromising its functionality.

A study of Italian students and environmentalists perceived glass bottles as the most environmentally sustainable when compared to aluminium cans and plastic bottles.4 However life cycle assessments showed the positive perception of single-use glass is completely unfounded, with glass packaging the worst option. The study demonstrated the need for communication to address consumer prejudices that were excessively proglass and excessively anti-plastic.

When food processors are considering changes in packaging, it is essential they factor food waste into their life cycle assessment studies. This assists in differentiation between packaging systems with a lower environmental impact causing high food waste versus those with a higher environmental impact that reduce food waste.5

Increasingly legislative requirements are driving food processors to explore how plastic packaging is used, especially multilayer plastic packaging which offers good protection to food but is difficult to recycle. By 2030, the European Union will require all plastic packaging to be either reusable or cost-effectively recyclable (EU DIRECTIVE 2019/904 – Reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment).

There is now a scramble to innovate and develop viable alternatives which meet these requirements and concomitantly protect foods. There is a fear that the loss of protection afforded by multilayer plastic packaging will have a negative overall environmental impact, with loss of quality and shorter shelf-life leading to greater food waste.

Summary

Today’s consumer places everincreasing importance on sustainability and is progressively looking for food produced under what is considered environmentally friendly conditions. Consumer pressure can be formidable, and it frequently shapes our industry. So, not surprisingly, there is a distinct focus on reduced or more ecofriendly food packaging options.

More and more food companies are striving to reduce their environmental impact, adopting strategies to save water, energy and resources as well as making other more sustainable choices. While sustainability is a focus, the food industry must not lose sight of the importance of maintaining food safety and protecting public health, as well as ensuring the economic viability of all stakeholders along the supply chain. Consumers expect their food to be safe, and anything less will adversely affect public trust.

By working together, food safety professionals and sustainability managers can develop an appreciation of how conservation practices affect food safety, and vice versa. Collaboration which identifies sustainable, science-based solutions, which do not adversely affect food safety, represent the endgame.

References

1. World Commission on Environment and Development (1987). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. http://www.un-documents. net/our-common-future.pdf

2. Zarocostas, J. (2022). UN says a third of food wasted. Lancet, 400, 1185. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0140-6736(22)01925-0

3. Focker et al. (2022). Review of food safety hazards in circular food systems in Europe. Food Research International, 158, 111505. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.foodres.2022.111505

4. De Feo et al. (2022). Comparison between the perceived and actual environmental sustainability of beverage packagings in glass, plastic, and aluminium. Journal of Cleaner Production, 333, 130158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jclepro.2021.130158

5. Wikström et al. (2014). The influence of packaging attributes on consumer behaviour in food-packaging life cycle assessment studies – a neglected topic. Journal of Cleaner Production, 73, 100-108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jclepro.2013.10.042

Deon Mahoney is Head of Food Safety at the International Fresh Produce Association. f