Food produced but not used for human consumption is a waste of natural resources. In order to prevent and reduce food waste, the main causes have to be identified systematically along the food supply chain (FSC). The aim of this study is (1) to shed light on the causes and effects of food waste through the analysis of 44 qualitative expert interviews examining the processes and intermediaries along the German food chain and (2) to find methods to reduce it. Results indicate that food waste occurs at all stages in the food chain. Thus, there is no single culprit to be blamed. Besides, the identified reasons for food waste differ between product groups; not a single solution can cause notable change. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that the causes and effects of food waste are to be found at different stages of the value chain. Hence, it is of high importance to improve communication and to raise a new appreciation for food among all stakeholders of the food supply chain in order to develop a more sustainable food system. Information on the topic of food waste needs to be shared among all actors of the supply chain. They need to share responsibility and work together to reduce food waste.

SUMMARY. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of exposure of growing broiler chickens of commercial origin to used poultry litter on intestinal and systemic immune responses. The litter types evaluated were fresh wood shavings or used litter obtained from commercial poultry farms with or without a history of gangrenous dermatitis (GD). Immune parameters measured were serum nitric oxide (NO) levels, serum antibody titers against Eimeria or Clostridium perfringens, mitogen-induced spleen cell proliferation, and intestinal intraepithelial lymphocyte or splenic lymphocyte subpopulations. At 43 days posthatch, birds raised on used litter from a GD farm had higher serum NO levels and greater Eimeria or C. perfringens antibody levels compared with chickens raised on fresh litter or used, non-GD litter. Birds raised on non-GD and GD used litter had greater spleen cell mitogenic responses compared with chickens raised on fresh litter. Finally, spleen and intestinal lymphocyte subpopulations were i... RESUMEN. Impacto de la cama nueva o re-utilizada en el sistema inmune después del nacimiento de pollos de engorde comerciales. Este estudio se llevó a cabo para investigar los efectos sobre la respuesta inmune sistémica y a nivel intestinal de pollos de engorde comerciales expuestos a la cama re-utilizada. Los tipos de cama que se evaluaron fueron la viruta de madera nueva o la cama re-utilizada obtenida de granjas avícolas comerciales con o sin antecedentes de dermatitis gangrenosa. Los parámetros inmunológicos que se midieron incluyeron los niveles de óxido nítrico sérico (NO), los títulos de anticuerpos séricos contra Eimeria o Clostridium perfringens, la proliferación de células esplénicas inducida por mitógenos y las subpoblaciones de linfocitos esplénicos y de linfocitos intraepiteliales intestinales. A los 43 días después del nacimiento, las aves criadas en cama re-utilizada de una granja con antecedentes de dermatitis gangrenosa, tenían mayores niveles séricos de óxido nítrico, mayores niveles de ...

Food-processing companies are controlled by societal influences and economic interests, but their efforts with regard to reducing food loss and waste are very different. This qualitative study aims to identify basic recommendations of good practice for the food-processing industry in order to prevent and handle food loss and waste. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review was conducted in the field of food waste prevention and data was collected from thirteen German companies. The findings summarize the recommendations of good practice, which cover the entire supply chain from supplier to consumer and beyond. The analysis showed that the participating companies are already partially aware of operational measures, even if they are applied or mentioned without a systematic approach. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that most activities relate to internal matters, like processing, employees and utilization. However, the responsibility of food-processing companies does not end with internal processes to reduce food waste. The results show that some companies are already aware of their responsibility to be involved along the entire supply chain. Finally, the results show that the needs of consumers and suppliers must also be considered in order to reduce food waste, in addition to direct reduction measures. This paper highlights nine important stages and 53 basic recommendations for companies to address food loss and waste in order to improve their practices.

Food loss and waste is a recurring issue of discussion that food processing companies can no longer avoid. Society, stakeholders, and directives are demanding more and more communication on sustainability issues. However, only just under half of food processing companies stated that they provide consumer information on food waste. However, consumer information is only one way of communicating about food waste. The aim of this study is to identify key themes for relevant online communication on food waste that companies should be communicating to support the German National Strategy for the Reduction of Food Waste and to determine whether companies are already using these themes online. For this purpose, national strategy experts were asked through a questionnaire which topics were relevant according to the national strategy. The websites of 105 food processing companies were analyzed using content analysis to determine the status quo of food waste communication and assessed for relevance according to the national strategy. This paper presents five prioritized clusters of topics for relevant online communication on food waste for companies. The top priorities for communication, Cluster 1, are “Business Goals”, “Business Strategy”, “Process”, “Consumer Information”, “In-house Transparency”, and “Utilization of Remaining Materials”. The status quo shows that 43.8% of the companies provided online content regarding food waste. Through theory-driven content analysis, the three most common topics were identified in relation to food waste, namely the following: “Business Goals”, “Product and Packaging”, and “Consumer Information”. Companies communicated in line with the priority clusters. However, the frequency of topics and the way they are communicated varies widely. Only “Consumer Information” and “Business Goals” from Cluster 1 are commonly communicated. During the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, there was a decline in publications on food waste, and afterward, more consumer-oriented content was published rather than communicating the relevant topics. Companies are expected to have two objectives in their communication: to communicate with consumers and to be transparent about their targets, data, and utilization of food waste. The results also show differences between subsectors, the occurrence of the topics over time, and examples. The findings are aimed at policymakers, researchers, and companies as a starting point for improving the consistency and transparency of food waste communication in line with the national strategy. The results are also of international interest due to the common challenges of food waste and international food companies.

Food processing companies have a financial interest in saving resources. However, they have different perceptions of the relevance of the issue of food waste. Hence, companies deal with the topic of waste in different ways. Some companies do implement measures systematically, others do not. The aim of this study is to analyze which recommendations against food loss and waste are effective, easy to implement, and are already part of the status quo in the food processing industry. For this purpose, based on the results of a previous exploratory study, a standardized questionnaire was developed and sent to food processing companies. From the 82 participating companies, 19 of 53 recommendations were classified as basic recommendations and 22 of the 53 recommendations were classified as ‘low-hanging fruits’. The results showed that companies rated the recommendations that were best implemented as very effective and easy to implement. Moreover, the results showed that the food processing industry’s strength in preventing food waste relate to the internal processes. However, at the borders of the value chain, there are still deficits in terms of exchange and communication with other stakeholders.