A new study by researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has found that 22.7 percent of total seafood supplies in the United States are lost or wasted – significantly less than previous estimates by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which estimated 50 percent wastage.
The study published in the journal Natureentitled ““Waterborne food losses and waste in the United States are only half of previous estimates,” The aim was to update the FAO’s 2011 estimates of aquatic food losses and waste (FLW). To do so, several important assumptions were addressed that may have led to inflated figures.
To achieve a more accurate analysis of total FLW amounts than the FAO study, the UF study attempted to narrow down the FLW differences between species, production technology, origin and stage of supply.
“The method is the same (as the FAO), but the data is more detailed,” said UF/IFAS professor Frank Asche, who worked on the study. “The key is not the differences between different countries, but taking into account the differences in the species consumed and the parts of the fish that are not exported but are still used.”
According to the study, aquaculture products are particularly vulnerable to FLW because they are worth more when fresh or live than frozen or shelf-stable. This method of sale requires reliable cold chain management, which, if not in place, leads to a high perishability rate of the products.
Through its narrow focus, the study found that the highest physical losses in seafood occur during the production and consumption phases of a product’s life cycle, while quality loss is most pronounced during the production and processing phases.
Almost two-thirds of waste is generated by consumers preparing meals at home. This statistic is consistent with previous studies, and in high-income countries the waste rate is even higher.
The seafood that causes the greatest production losses are shrimp, catfish, salmon, canned tuna and tilapia.
Reducing food loss and waste is an important factor in ensuring global food security and the health of the planet, the study says. It also highlights that the majority of food waste ends up in landfills, representing a significant waste of dwindling resources.
“Waste reduction is about more than just catching the right number of fish,” said James Anderson, a professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Food and Agricultural Sciences and co-author of the study. “It’s about catching fish well and minimizing waste, without compromising on quality or quantity.”
To mitigate the problem, the study broke down possible solutions for opposite ends of the supply chain: production and consumption.
Aquaculture operators benefit from Improving water qualityDisease prevention and improved breeding genetics to reduce mortality. Capture fisheries can reduce unwanted catches by Efforts to monitor bycatch And Improving cold chain strategies and handling of fish.
On the other side of the supply chain, consumers can benefit from better education and skills in seafood preparation, such as learning about the perishability of the products and how to plan and prepare meals to reduce waste.
By addressing species and challenges at every stage of the supply chain from production to consumption, the seafood industry can implement targeted solutions to reduce FLW, become more sustainable and increase global food security in an environment of limited resources, the study says.
“Given growing food security, economic and sustainability challenges, strategies to reduce loss and waste of economically valuable and healthy marine foods are becoming increasingly important,” the study says. “Accurate and reliable data on FLW are urgently needed in many countries, sectors and supply chains to track progress towards policy goals and refine interventions.”
