GLOBAL CENTER FOR POST-HARVEST LOSS

Food Loss Vs. Food Waste

Food Loss refers to the decrease in edible food mass throughout the supply chain that specifically leads to edible food for human consumption. Food is lost at production, post harvest, and processing stages in the supply chain. Further loss can be divided quantitatively, for example decrease in weight or volume, spillage, consumption by pests and other unintended reductions due to temperature, moisture, or chemical changes. Food loss is qualitatively defined as reduction in nutritional value and unwanted changes in taste color, texture, or cosmetic features due to insect pest, rodents. Birds,handling, physical, or chemical changes.

Food Waste occurs at the retail and consumption stages of the chain and relates to retailers’ and consumers’ behaviors, therefore is considered a subset of food loss. Food waste is good quality food fit for human consumption but does not get consumed and rather discarded either before or after it spoils. This is a result of negligence or a conscious decision to throw food away.

Scarce ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ Wasted

Fruits and vegetables are the largest source of loss and waste by weight.

• 40% of the US food is never eaten
• Resource loss in US:
  • 30% fertilizer
  • 31% cropland
  •  25% freshwater consumption
  •  2% of total energy consumption

• Food waste generated in homes and foodservice accounts for 60% of food loss