JULY - AUGUST 20258BY JANAINA PADOVEZE, SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, AJINOMOTO DO BRASILREUSE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRYThe food industry is one of the most incredible industries, dedicated to providing people with a balanced and happy life. Given this mission, it is unreasonable to accept that this type of industry could negatively impact the environment that people need to live in. Instead, we need to focus on activities aimed at sustainable development. In this article, we will discuss the topic of food loss and waste reduction, a sustainability activity that is one of the most important in the food industry.According to the FAO report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in World", published in July 2023, it is estimated that between 691 and 783 million people in the world faced hunger in 2022. Considering the average range (around 735 million), 122 million more people were hungry in 2022 compared to 2019, before the pandemic. It is also predicted that almost 600 million people will suffer from chronic malnutrition by 2030, pointing to the immense challenge of achieving the United Nations (UN) SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) target of eradicating hunger.When we talk about food losses and waste, we can work on two fronts: reducing the generation of losses and promoting the reuse of those that we couldn't avoid. The first topic is the one that has the highest priority. We know that our processes as a whole are not perfect and are unlikely to ever be perfect, but I would like to trust that the food industry could believe that it is possible to get very close to this.Losses can be reduced through a management system that aims for operational excellence. There are countless methodologies available on the market, and when we mention Operational Excellence, we are not just talking about manufacturing or support areas but about all areas of the organization. It is clear that reducing Janaina PadovezeIN MY OPINION
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