Authors : Zeenat Khan, Kumudini Dhore
Page Nos : 92-95
Description :
Food waste or food loss is food that is discarded or cannot be used. The causes of food
waste or loss are numerous, and occur at the stages of production, processing, retailing and
consumption. Food waste refer to food that is of good quality and fit for human
consumption but that does not get consumed because it is discarded-either before or after
it spoils. Food waste is the result of negligence or a conscious decision to throw food
away. “Food loss and waste†refers to the edible parts of plants and animals that are
produced or harvested for human consumption but that are not ultimately consumed by
people. In particular, “food loss†refers to food that spills ,spoils, incurs an abnormal
reduction in quality such as bruising or wilting, or otherwise gets lost before it reach the
consumer. Food loss is the unintended result of agriculture process or technical limitation
in storage, infrastructure, packaging, or marketing. Food loss and waste have many
negative economic and environmental impacts. Economically, they represent wasted
investment that can reduce farmers’ incomes and increase consumers’ expenses.
Environmentally, food loss and waste inflict a host of impacts, including unnecessary
greenhouse gas emissions and inefficiently used water and land, which in turn can lead to
diminished natural ecosystems and the service they provide.
Keywords: food waste, food loss, human consumption
