Overview

Focusing on the crucial sustainability challenge of reducing food loss at the level of consumer society, this volume provides an in-depth, research-based overview of this multifaceted problem. Food Loss and Waste Reduction: Technical Solutions for Cleaner Production considers the myriad environmental, economic, social, and ethical factors associated with enormous amount of food waste, which also ends up wasting water, air, electricity, and fuel, which are necessary for food processing. This book uniquely examines the social and cultural views of food waste management, shedding new light on the topic by emphasizing the consumer/household perspective throughout. Drawing on a wide variety of disciplines, the book presents philosophical reflections, practical examples and case studies, and potential solutions to the problem of increasing food waste. The special feature of the book is that it covers different developments made right from the basic technologies generated for waste management to recent advancements and future areas of research. Topics include Edible/biodgradable hydrogels as a packaging material Using encapsulation as a food preservation technique Effective utilization of food waste Cold plasma in food processing Food waste in transportation Use of various forms of energy for food processing Recovery, separation, and purification of biocompounds with potential application in the food industry Effective use of cereal and wine by-products This book will be of great interest to postgraduate students and researchers in environmental policy, waste management, social marketing ,and consumer behavior, as well as policymakers and practitioners in consumer issues and business--