State of the Art Report on 'Options for Sustainable Food Processing' (Part of the Project 'Technology Options for Feeding 10 Billion People')

Staidéar 15-11-2013

Innovations in food processing techniques can significantly contribute to meeting the needs of the future 10 billion world inhabitants with respect to quality, quantity and sustainability of their food intake. The present study provides an expert judgment for the potential of new and emerging technologies to enhance sustainability in the food processing sector. It includes the following technologies: sensor technology, sustainable packaging and refrigeration climate control, non-thermal pasteurisation and sterilisation, nano- and micro technology, innovative processes for utilisation of by-products, alternative processes requiring less energy or water, plant-based meat alternatives and information and knowledge transfer. For each technology the direct impact (reduced losses, energy and water use) as well as the indirect impact (food losses, suboptimal utilisation and unnecessary quality decay within the supply chain) are described, as well as their contribution to the areas of improvement of the European food processing industry (new and better food products, resource efficient manufacturing processes, integrated and transparent supply chains and enhanced innovation capacity).