Identifying Factors Associated with Food Losses during Transportation: Potentials for Social Purposes

Milena Lipińska, Marzena Tomaszewska and Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska
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Milena Lipińska: Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159c St., 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Marzena Tomaszewska: Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159c St., 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska: Department of Food Gastronomy and Food Hygiene, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences—SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159c St., 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: The problem of food waste and food loss covers the entire food chain, and its scale varies depending on the part of the chain. The aim of the study was to identify a problem and indicate places where goods redistribution is possible at the food transportation stage. The article provides a detailed breakdown of the causes of losses at the transportation stage. The research material was a large dairy cooperative in Poland. It was found that it was possible to recover 25.08 tons of dairy products. Taking into account the total weight of the cargo carried by all transport units during the analyzed period, this amount is approximately 0.5% of the full load capacity of all transport units in a two-year period. The research conducted shows that losses during the transportation of finished goods are generated, therefore it is possible to recover part of the food during the loading, transportation and unloading stages. The present practice involves an unconditional disposal of all products, which for various reasons are not delivered to the customer at the appropriate time and in proper commercial quality (accidents, collisions). The disposal of ready, often packed, completely safe products is a highly undesirable phenomenon, especially in the context of the poverty experienced by part of society.

Keywords: food loss; food waste; dairy products; transport (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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