A focus on the state of the art of food waste/losses issue and suggestions for future researches. (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Muriana, Cinzia
• Is Part Of: Waste management. Volume 68(2017)
• Page Start: 557
• Page End: 570
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: Food waste/losses minimization -- Food waste/losses prevention -- Food waste/losses management -- New research topics for food/waste management -- Supply chain models redesign for food waste/losses prevention and minimization -- Suggestions for future research topics; AI Artificial Intelligence -- ARIMA Auto-Regressive and Moving Average -- BPS By Products Synergy -- CL Characteristic Life -- CLSC Closed Loop Supply Chain -- CSL Cycle Service Level -- EOQ Economic Order Quantity -- F-W/L Food Waste Losses -- GDP Gross domestic Product -- MAP Modified Atmosphere Packaging -- MSW Municipal Solid Waste -- RFID Radio Frequency Identification -- SARIMA Seasonal Auto-Regressive and Moving Average -- SC Supply chain -- SL Shelf Life -- TTI Time-Temperature Indicators -- VC Value Chain -- WMH Waste Management Hierarchy; Hazardous wastes -- Periodicals; Refuse and refuse disposal -- Periodicals; 363.728
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2017.06.047
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-053X

Abstract

Highlights: Food waste/losses reduction is a today emergent issue. Food waste/losses have structural causes depending on supply chain strategies. Food waste/losses have both predictable and unpredictable components. The redesign of supply chain models is needed to include food waste/losses issue. Suggestions of new research topics in the field of food waste/losses have been done. Abstract: Today, the role of the supply chain (SC) strategies in Food-Waste/Losses (F-W/L) generation is neglected, because F-W/L are generally considered an unavoidable consequence of accidental events. Therefore, only operating plans are today put into practice, which aim at reducing the impact of product losses along the SC. This involves that structured analyses and strategic SC approaches are not available for the prevention/minimization of F-W/L. The paper aims at changing the perspective, and promoting the hypothesis that generation of F-W/L mainly depends on the SC strategies put into practice that are usually optimized on the basis of the market demand. The paper considers the F-W/L an intrinsic characteristic of the SC, which must be put in relation with the market demand and the shelf life of products, for given boundary conditions (legal constraints, politic decisions, climatic and micro macro-economic factors). Thus, the paper aims at reviewing the state of the art of the F-W/L issue, and proposing new research topics in the field of the prevention and minimization of F-W/L, by focusing on: (i) the forecasting of F-W/L, the implementation of adaptive-holistic approaches that model the non-stationary and holistic behaviour of the phenomenon; (ii) the determination of analytical conditions that entail the generation of F-W/L, in relation to the implementation of specific SC strategies; (iii) the study of mathematical models for the assessment of the shelf life, and the evaluation of innovative technologies, which enable the shelf life monitoring; (iv) the study of new shelf life-dependent demand models based on the consumer-utility theory; (v) the redesign of the logistic SC management models, by proposing new SC coordination models, planning and replenishment strategies, and pricing models, for the prevention/minimization of the predictable component of F-W/L; (vi) the design of new risk assessment plans for the management of the accidental component of F-W/L.