How can you create sustainable food products that last longer?

1 What is food sustainability?

Food sustainability is the ability to produce and consume food in a way that meets the needs of the present and future generations, while minimizing the negative impacts on the environment, society, and health. Food sustainability involves considering the whole food system, from production to consumption, and addressing the challenges of food security, food quality, food safety, food diversity, and food waste.

2 How does food spoilage affect food sustainability?

Food spoilage is the deterioration of food quality and safety due to physical, chemical, or biological factors. Food spoilage can cause food to lose its flavor, texture, color, aroma, or nutritional value, or to become contaminated with harmful microorganisms, toxins, or allergens. Food spoilage can also lead to food waste, which is the loss or discarding of edible food along the food supply chain. Food waste has negative consequences for food sustainability, as it wastes the resources, energy, and emissions that were used to produce, process, transport, and store the food, and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, land degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss.

3 How can you prevent or delay food spoilage?

One of the main goals of food science is to prevent or delay food spoilage, by applying various techniques and technologies that can extend the shelf life of food products. Shelf life is the period of time that a food product can be stored under specific conditions and still maintain its quality and safety. To achieve this, thermal processing, such as pasteurization, sterilization, canning, blanching, and cooking, can be used to kill or inactivate microorganisms, enzymes, or toxins. Refrigeration and freezing can also be used to slow down or stop the growth and activity of microorganisms and enzymes. Additionally, drying can be used to reduce the water activity, which is the measure of the availability of water for microorganisms and chemical reactions that can cause spoilage. Fermentation is another method that involves adding microorganisms or enzymes to food products to produce desirable changes in flavor, texture, acidity, or preservation. Lastly, packaging encloses food products in suitable materials that can protect them from physical damage, moisture loss or gain, oxygen exposure, light exposure, or microbial contamination.

4 How can you design sustainable food products that last longer?

Designing sustainable food products that last longer can be achieved by applying some principles and strategies of food science. For instance, natural or renewable resources should be utilized, such as plants, animals, or solar power, to reduce environmental impact and increase social benefit. Additionally, optimizing the formulation of ingredients in the food product can enhance its quality, stability, functionality, and nutrition. Novel technologies can also be applied to improve the performance, efficiency, or safety of the food product, such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, or smart packaging. Moreover, consumer preferences should be taken into account to increase acceptability and satisfaction. For example, sensory analysis, consumer research, or market analysis can be used to understand consumer taste and texture preferences.

5 What are some examples of sustainable food products that last longer?

Food scientists, innovators, and entrepreneurs have developed or are developing a number of sustainable food products that last longer. Plant-based meat alternatives, for example, can reduce the environmental and ethical issues associated with animal meat production and consumption, while having a longer shelf life due to their lower water activity and microbial load. Edible coatings, made from natural or renewable materials such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, or extracts from plants or animals, can also extend the shelf life of food products by forming a protective barrier against moisture loss, oxygen exposure, microbial contamination, or browning. Finally, 3D printed food technology can reduce food waste by using precise amounts of materials and creating personalized portions. It can also enhance food quality, safety, and diversity by creating novel shapes, textures, or compositions.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?