Food-waste reduction and shelf-life extension in bakery and meat is being driven by a strong consumer demand for sustainability.

One of the more enduring effects of the pandemic has been increased consumer interest about reducing food waste, as greater attention was paid to consumption patterns in the home. It’s a development that appears to have become structural in nature. This has been leveraged even further by the recent cost-of-living crisis. Although the latter situation now appears to be moderating, prices are settling at notably higher levels.

According to Kerry’s recent Left on the Shelf proprietary consumer study, consumers are highly motivated to adjust their behavior to help reduce food waste. This is driven first by a desire to save money and second by concern for the environment. The trend presents both an opportunity and challenge for food and beverage producers to improve the shelf life of their products and stay on the right side of consumers.

The Kerry Left on the Shelf study revealed, for instance, that 83 percent of consumers would consider the environment when making a purchase. Quite simply, consumers want to do something to fight global warming and be environmentally responsible, so a strong focus on sustainability—with front-of-pack claims around longer shelf life—can be a key differentiator in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace. It’s also a necessity for manufacturers that have already made strong public commitments to their sustainability goals.

Another key finding challenging product developers is that younger consumers are becoming more willing to switch brands in order to support more sustainably produced products. Overall, consumers benefit from a “feel good” factor when they purchase sustainable items, and it’s a state of mind that shows no signs of abating. Which show real promise as the study shows that up to half of food waste could be prevented by consumer action (with the other 50 percent prevented by shelf-life extension). Our research also found that a massive 98 percent of consumers globally were actively trying to minimize food waste.

Bakery Is the Largest Category of Processed Food Waste

Bread and baked goods represent the largest volume of packaged, processed food waste on a global basis (fresh produce comprises the highest volume overall). Consumers won’t eat food that does not look, taste or smell appealing. In extending shelf life, all aspects of the eating experience are considered; that is, microbial control and sensorial shelf life come as a package deal.

As recent Kerry global food waste research has shown, consumers greatly value the objective of reducing food waste. For bread manufacturers in particular, achieving an extended shelf life for a product may allow for on-pack claims on “fresh for longer” that may help build brand loyalty and foster new sales. The top reason for bakery waste is mold, followed by staleness. It’s vital to note here that, although bread is a low-cost product, it is the biggest category of packaged food waste globally.

With consumers now focused on reducing food waste and watching carefully for signs of freshness or lack thereof in the bakery products they purchase, curbing waste in this category is a challenge that cannot be ignored. Add to that the occasional underperformance of ingredients that can lead products to mold earlier than expected, and the backlash from consumers can be considerable. By the time a weakness is discovered and its cause pin-pointed, the damage to sales, the cost of returns, and the knock-on effect to purchasing loyalty can be detrimental to a brand.

There are huge benefits to making efforts to improve shelf life. Studies show that some 50 percent of consumer food waste can be prevented by extending a product’s appealing life span. According to the FAO, the average American consumer wastes 10 times more food annually than consumers in Southeast Asia. In emerging markets, 60 percent of food loss occurs early in the supply chain, i.e., before it reaches the retailer, and this can often be addressed by enhancing preservation practices.

In better news, a wide range of advanced technologies are already available in the marketplace—enzymes, organic acids, emulsifiers, fermentates, vinegars and other bakery ingredients—that can eliminate shelf-life issues while extending viable end-use dates. In addition to the positive benefit of avoiding waste, this also lowers distribution costs by reducing the frequency of restocking.

Meat: The Most Expensive Global Category of Food Waste

Meat is the most costly category of food waste in terms of both dollars and environmental impact, so the need to address its preservation challenges can’t be overstated. Rising food and feed prices have made protein more expensive everywhere, but reducing global meat waste is arguably most beneficial to regions where citizens cannot access enough affordable protein on a daily basis.

According to Kerry’s proprietary research, meat is also the top category in terms of consumer worry around food safety. Unbeknownst to many, the traditional consumer “sniff test” is not an infallible guide to determining if meat is safe to eat; the kinds of pathogens that can make people sick often don’t have a smell or visual impact. Therefore, while you can see moldy bread and sniff sour milk—quality issues that don’t necessarily lead to illness, ironically—determining a meat product’s viability is much more difficult, and the health impacts of consuming contaminated meat can, in extreme cases, be deadly.

There are a number of unique challenges facing packers and handlers of meat and poultry products in terms of combating food waste. While the U.S. industry leads the way in maintaining a low initial microbial load that empowers these products with a longer shelf life, in other parts of the world meat products often start with a higher initial microbial count following processing. Once processed, there is an increased risk of contamination and/or temperature changes that can result in a shorter shelf life.

The growing demands of consumers around the world for cleaner labels—including all-natural ingredients and the removal of certain undesirable ingredients—also impacts meat shelf life. Some clean-label ingredients will offer a shorter shelf life than their conventional counterparts, so a multifunctional, “layered approach” system may be needed to fill the gap.

Meat handlers can have a significant downstream impact on reducing meat waste, but they may face a challenge quantifying the immediate benefits of their endeavors; these benefits are more easily noticed by retailers and consumers. Therefore, since reducing meat waste is a growing imperative, implementing shelf-life extension processes must take a whole-industry approach that includes both input and action from regulatory agencies, not to mention consumer education efforts.

Plant-based Meat Safety and Shelf-Life Extension

Meat-safety concerns also extend to plant-based alternatives, as many consumers have misconceptions about how long these products last. Preservation technologies, including low- or no-sodium solutions, can extend the shelf life of plant-based meat; moving the product from the freezer to the refrigerator can also be used as a means to reduce costs. In terms of protection, an integrated (i.e., building blocks) approach developed with the preservative ingredient supplier’s input can improve results. By reducing the volume of wasted meat—whether animal- or plant-based—there is a positive environmental impact through reduced CO2 production and lower water/feed usage. These solutions protect and extend the useful life of products while delivering a positive impact on the environment and climate change.

Food Safety Implications of Targeting Food Waste

Unfortunately, food safety concerns can arise when manufacturers seek to aggressively reduce waste, as this means the actions taken must be validated by microbiology studies. Further, all ingredients and processes must be regulator-approved to ensure they are safe for human consumption. Sensory studies conducted with a preservation ingredient supplier can ensure that any changes steer around negative impacts on taste and texture.

Through a concerted global effort, global undernourishment is a resolvable problem, and it’s an area in which we must all take a proactive role. Food and beverage producers can begin right now to reduce food waste and loss. Preservation solutions are available to help reach this goal and reduce the environmental and social costs of wasted food—and ultimately help feed the world.

Consumers across the globe have told producers they want to reduce food waste and contribute to a much more sustainable food system. Kerry partners with manufacturers to extend the shelf life of products to meet this consumer demand, but there is also a need for consumers themselves to become educated about what they can do to help once products leave retail shelves.

Individual actions can have an outsized impact, and the data show that enough food resources could be protected to feed three times the amount of undernourished people on the planet today if we all do our part. Thankfully, there are a large number of proven solutions and tools available to help make this a reality. The benefits of reducing global food waste, quite simply, would be enormous. NIE

Emma Cahill leads Strategic Marketing for Kerry’s global Food Protection & Preservation business. She has been with Kerry since 2017, working globally from Ireland and now the U.S. Cahill is a strategic thinker who is passionate about food loss and waste elimination. She has a BSc. (Hons) in Agricultural Science and an MSc. in International Marketing Practice, both from University College Dublin, Ireland. Prior to Kerry, Cahill has held roles of increasing responsibility in the sports and medical industries based in London and promoting Irish food and beverage companies in France through Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board.