Currently, there is major consumer concern about dietary salt intake worldwide. However, even with the development of contemporary preservation practices, sodium chloride is still essential in processed meat products. Despite a long history of use, salt is now seriously controversial in food due to health concerns that are mostly related to high blood pressure and cardiovascular risks. Changes in meat processing methods have reduced those potential risks, but different perceptions continue to shape how consumers and society view dietary salt. The current consumer demand for additive‐free food, such as the clean‐label movement, has renewed consumer willingness for naturalness in food products.

The transition of existing food value chains towards greater sustainability is a societal imperative and a potential competitive factor. To succeed, some actors in the chains define new practices to establish common sustainability goals. To date, there is little evidence that the visions and values of the various actors in the chains have been leading to common solutions. This work explores the impact of collaboration on the value chain actors’ ability to jointly decide strategies for redesigning their activities. It reports on an empirical approach, which elicits the values and priorities of different stakeholders. The case takes place in the context of a value chain of the production/processing/sale of pork products. This value chain involves two French production-processing and redistribution cooperatives. Stakeholders were questioned about their prioritization of sustainability issues and these weights were applied to evaluate 12 animal feed solutions that vary in terms of the composition and geographical origin of rations, and the means and locations of their production. The results show that despite several years of cooperation, the objectives of the upstream and downstream actors remain different. The objectives of the upstream actors are driven by the economic difficulties of production and those of the downstream actors by the multiplicity of consumer demands and cost control objectives. In a reversal of the current practice marked by the economic difficulties of the actors upstream of the chain, an integrated culture could be led by bottom-up approaches to create a shared vision. Public policy would be then essential in regulating the sharing of value among actors; and in promoting chain models that help the required investments.

Global sustainability indicators, particularly in human health, are necessary to describe agrifood products footprint. Nitrosamines are toxic molecules that are often encountered in cured and processed meats. As they are frequently consumed, meat-based products need to be assessed to evaluate their potential impact on human health. This article provides a methodological framework based on life cycle assessment for comparing meat product processing scenarios. The respective contributions of each step of the product life cycle are extended with a new human health indicator, nitrosamine toxicity, which has not been previously included in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and tools (software and databases). This inclusion allows for the comparison of conventional versus innovative processes. Nitrosamines toxicity was estimated to be 2.20x10⁻⁶ disability-adjusted life years (DALY) for 1 kg of consumed conventional cooked ham while 4.54x10⁻⁷ DALY for 1 kg of consumed innovative cooked ham. The potential carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic effects of nitrosamines from meat products on human health are taken into account. Human health indicators are an important step forward in the comprehensive application of LCA methodology to improve the global sustainability of food systems.