Life-Cycle Assessments of Meat-Free and Meat-Containing Diets by Integrating Sustainability and Lean: Meat-Free Dishes Are Sustainable

Viktoria Mannheim () and Judit Lovasné Avató
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Viktoria Mannheim: Institute of Energy Engineering and Chemical Machinery, University of Miskolc, 3515 Miskolc-Egyetemváros, Hungary
Judit Lovasné Avató: Department of Methodology for Business Analysis, Institute of Quantitative Methodology, Budapest Business University, Alkotmány Str. 9-11, 1054 Budapest, Hungary

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 15, 1-24

Abstract: Nowadays, sustainable food choices are taking on an increasingly central role. This paper assesses the environmental loads and energy resources of meat-free (vegan and pescovegetarian) and meat-containing (traditional) restaurant soups and main dishes. The applied life-cycle assessment focuses on determining environmental loads and energy resources in restaurant products’ preparation, cooking, and end-of-life phases. Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis statistical methods were applied to investigate restaurant products’ distribution and carbon footprints. Furthermore, a sustainability assessment model was developed by integrating green-lean and life-cycle assessment approaches called “GreenCycLEAN”. Based on the analysis results, the whole life cycle of meat-free dishes has a lower environmental impact. However, the primary energy requirement of a vegetable soup is less favorable than that of a meat-containing soup. The preparation phase has higher burdens, and the cooking phase is the most energy intensive. Research results are helpful for the sustainability of catering establishments.

Keywords: sustainability; green lean; life-cycle assessment; catering sector; vegans; pescatarians; traditional consumers; environmental impacts; GreenCycLEAN model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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