Manufacturing
and nutrients that can be used to produce a vast range of added-value products: from additional food and nutraceuticals to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, to energy,” he adds.
Waste not, want not
Even if some food waste can be repurposed, the fact remains that waste is a serious issue. According to the United Nations, roughly one-third of all food produced globally ultimately goes to waste. Of this, approximately 13% is lost between the harvest and retail stages alone, while an estimated 19% occurs in households and within the food service and retail sectors. Moreover, when the energy used to produce and transport food is added to the spoilage – such as food thrown out or deteriorating in home fridges – it is estimated that nearly one-half of all global food system emissions arise in this way. A study published in Nature Food in March 2023 supports these findings. A significant portion of these emissions is due to the methane generated when food rots in landfills. In the US, food waste is the single largest component of municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills, accounting for an estimated 22%, as reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In the meantime, prevailing assumptions regarding the optimum configuration for supply chains have traditionally been based on the characteristics of the system being analysed – for example, the distances travelled. It is often assumed that a low number of food miles correlates with a more sustainable process. Yet, this assumption is not always accurate; inefficient sowing practices can sometimes overshadow the environmental benefits associated with shorter transport distances. On the other hand, a highly distributed manufacturing model may be both economically and environmentally advantageous. Indeed, economies of scale have led to very large centralised production plants that concentrate resources and rely on efficient supply chain and distribution networks. “There are clearly financial incentives for such centralised production,” notes Theodoropoulos. However, more localised production – with smaller plants situated closer to local food sources – is closer to the ideal bioeconomy model. This model can offer a distinctive product identity, boost local economies, and, provided that the infrastructure is in place, has the potential to reduce carbon footprints through shorter supply chain networks. “We have tried to quantify this debate in our recent paper, where we took tomato paste production as our working example. Nevertheless, although from my point of view, as a bioeconomy advocate, more localised biorefinery-type operations should be preferable, this is not a ‘one size fits all’ solution and a lot will depend on the particular products and the relevant infrastructure,” Theodoropoulos
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
explains. Noteworthy is that as food producers increasingly adopt automated solutions, there is a shift in workforce dynamics. This shift enables personnel to move away from repetitive tasks and transition into roles that require higher skill levels. Automation reduces the need for manual intervention, which in turn diminishes the potential for errors and contamination – a critical consideration in food manufacturing. Furthermore, digitalisation and automation contribute to the design of more efficient control operations, providing improved quality control and product consistency by minimising variations arising from raw material differences. “Also, if used properly, better control technologies can lead to more efficient use of resources, hence better overall sustainability and lower manufacturing costs. In principle, this lowering of costs should be passed down to customers, although this is not always the case,” adds Theodoropoulos.
One significant consequence of increased automation in the food production industry has been the heightened demand for workers with specialised skills capable of operating and maintaining advanced machinery. There remains, however, a notable shortage of such skilled workers, further compounded by demographic changes that have already made recruitment challenging. Accelerating technological change is creating a ‘burning need’ for talent to keep pace with new developments. According to an EY report titled ‘How adaptive skills can play a pivotal role in building the manufacturing sector of the future’, as manufacturing continues to evolve, so too must the skill set of its workforce. Projections by the National Association of Manufacturers suggest that by 2030, an estimated 2.1 million US manufacturing jobs could remain unfilled if the skills gap is not adequately addressed.
CPGs, OEMs and ROI In the production space, consumer packaged goods
Better control technologies can lead to an efficient use of resources.
2.1million
The number of US manufacturing jobs that could remain unfilled if the skills gap is not adequately addressed by 2030.
National Association of Manufacturers
83
Parilov/
Shutterstock.com
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