{"id":35386,"date":"2023-02-21T09:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-21T08:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/?p=35386"},"modified":"2024-02-08T10:24:03","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T09:24:03","slug":"new-research-project-focuses-on-the-utilization-of-food-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axfoundation.se\/en\/news\/new-research-project-focuses-on-the-utilization-of-food-waste","title":{"rendered":"New research project focuses on the utilization of food waste"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \"Substantial\n

Substantial amounts of vegetables are thrown away before they even reach the grocery store.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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A <\/span><\/span><\/span>new research<\/span><\/span><\/span> project<\/span><\/span><\/span> explores<\/span><\/span><\/span> the <\/span><\/span><\/span>opportunities<\/span><\/span><\/span> to <\/span><\/span><\/span>develop<\/span><\/span><\/span> new <\/span><\/span><\/span>food<\/span><\/span><\/span> products<\/span><\/span><\/span> by <\/span><\/span><\/span>using<\/span><\/span><\/span> unutilized resources\u00a0in <\/span><\/span><\/span>vegetable<\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>beef<\/span><\/span><\/span> production<\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span>In the <\/span><\/span><\/span>project<\/span><\/span><\/span>, several<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0actors<\/span><\/span><\/span> are<\/span><\/span><\/span> collaborating<\/span><\/span><\/span> with<\/span><\/span><\/span> the <\/span><\/span><\/span>aim<\/span><\/span><\/span> of<\/span><\/span><\/span> i<\/span><\/span><\/span>ncreas<\/span><\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span><\/span> the <\/span><\/span><\/span>resource<\/span><\/span><\/span> efficiency<\/span><\/span><\/span> and the <\/span><\/span><\/span>profitability<\/span><\/span><\/span> of<\/span><\/span><\/span> the Swedish<\/span><\/span><\/span> food<\/span><\/span><\/span> sector<\/span><\/span><\/span> \u2013 <\/span><\/span><\/span>by <\/span><\/span><\/span>offer<\/span><\/span><\/span>ing<\/span><\/span><\/span> innovative <\/span><\/span><\/span>grocery<\/span><\/span><\/span> products<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The <\/span><\/span><\/span>project<\/span><\/span><\/span> is <\/span><\/span><\/span>being<\/span><\/span><\/span> led by scientists at <\/span><\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span><\/span>Swedish <\/span><\/span><\/span>Environmental<\/span><\/span><\/span> Research <\/span><\/span><\/span>Institute<\/span><\/span><\/span> (IVL) and is <\/span><\/span><\/span>conducted<\/span><\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span><\/span>collaboration<\/span><\/span><\/span> with<\/span><\/span><\/span> Axfoundation<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Ipsos<\/span><\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> MatLust<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span>the collaboration platform for reduced food waste<\/span> (<\/span>Samarbete<\/span> f\u00f6r <\/span>minskat<\/span> matsvinn<\/span>),<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>F<\/span>orum for reduced food waste<\/span> (<\/span>Matsvinnet<\/span>) and<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the Swedish University <\/span><\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span><\/span> Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The <\/span><\/span><\/span>initiative<\/span><\/span><\/span> was<\/span><\/span><\/span> recently<\/span><\/span><\/span> granted<\/span><\/span><\/span> support from the re<\/span><\/span><\/span>search<\/span><\/span><\/span> counsil<\/span><\/span><\/span> Formas.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost a third of all the food produced globally today is thrown away or is lost somewhere along the production chain. It\u2019s an enormous waste of resources that also causes great climate impact and emissions.\u201d – Elvira Molin, Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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In the <\/span><\/span><\/span>production<\/span><\/span><\/span> of<\/span><\/span><\/span> vegetables<\/span><\/span><\/span> and <\/span><\/span><\/span>beef<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>unutilized<\/span><\/span><\/span> resources<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0flows<\/span><\/span><\/span> in the form <\/span><\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span><\/span> shells<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>haulms<\/span><\/span><\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/span> deformed<\/span><\/span><\/span> vegetables<\/span><\/span><\/span> and<\/span><\/span><\/span> leftover meat<\/span><\/span> are<\/span><\/span><\/span> either<\/span><\/span><\/span> thrown<\/span><\/span><\/span> away<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>used<\/span><\/span><\/span> as animal <\/span><\/span><\/span>fodder<\/span><\/span><\/span> or <\/span><\/span><\/span>exported<\/span><\/span><\/span> as a <\/span><\/span><\/span>result<\/span><\/span><\/span> of<\/span><\/span><\/span> the lack <\/span><\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span><\/span> Swedish <\/span><\/span><\/span>demand<\/span><\/span><\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span>Some<\/span><\/span><\/span> parts <\/span><\/span><\/span>can<\/span><\/span><\/span> be <\/span><\/span><\/span>seen<\/span><\/span><\/span> as less <\/span><\/span><\/span>appetizing<\/span><\/span><\/span> or <\/span><\/span><\/span>contain<\/span><\/span><\/span> substances<\/span><\/span><\/span> that<\/span><\/span><\/span> are<\/span><\/span><\/span> not <\/span><\/span><\/span>healthy<\/span><\/span><\/span> to <\/span><\/span><\/span>eat<\/span><\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span><\/span>greater<\/span><\/span><\/span> amounts<\/span><\/span><\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cBringing by-products back into the Swedish food culture comes with a few challenges. To produce food products that are attractive to consumers, we will work in close collaboration with Axfoundation\u2019s innovation team at Tors\u00e5ker Farm. The taste and sensory aspects will be in focus, and different consumer tests will be take place to evaluate and follow up.\u201d – Elvira Molin, Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The target group for the project is both younger and older consumers, focusing on the food that can be used within the public sector, such as schools and senior homes.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To\u00a0measure the environmental benefits and the profitability, the new products will be analyzed from a life<\/span> cycle perspective, focusing on the potential to increase profitability in the Swedish agriculture and food industry.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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\n \"Veronica\n

Veronica \u00d6hrvik is a project manager for the program Future Food at Axfoundation.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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In the <\/span><\/span><\/span>project<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>Axfoundation<\/span><\/span><\/span> is <\/span><\/span><\/span>responsible<\/span><\/span><\/span> for developing<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0new <\/span><\/span><\/span>food<\/span><\/span><\/span> products<\/span><\/span><\/span> using<\/span><\/span><\/span> residual<\/span><\/span><\/span> flows<\/span><\/span><\/span> that<\/span><\/span><\/span> are currently<\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0not <\/span><\/span><\/span>being<\/span><\/span><\/span> u<\/span><\/span><\/span>tiliz<\/span><\/span><\/span>ed<\/span><\/span><\/span>. The <\/span><\/span><\/span>project<\/span><\/span><\/span> is a part <\/span><\/span><\/span>of<\/span><\/span><\/span> Axfoundation\u2019s<\/span><\/span><\/span> program <\/span><\/span><\/span>area <\/span><\/span>Future<\/span><\/span><\/span> Food<\/span><\/span><\/span> and the tests <\/span><\/span><\/span>will<\/span><\/span><\/span> be <\/span><\/span><\/span>conducted<\/span><\/span><\/span> at <\/span>Tors\u00e5ker<\/span> Farm. <\/span><\/span><\/span>T<\/span><\/span><\/span>he <\/span><\/span><\/span>developments<\/span><\/span><\/span> are<\/span><\/span><\/span> in <\/span><\/span><\/span>the <\/span><\/span>early<\/span><\/span><\/span> stages<\/span><\/span><\/span>, <\/span><\/span><\/span>but<\/span><\/span><\/span> the <\/span><\/span><\/span>aim<\/span><\/span><\/span> is to <\/span><\/span><\/span>contribute<\/span><\/span><\/span> to new <\/span><\/span><\/span>innovative <\/span><\/span><\/span>products<\/span><\/span><\/span> from<\/span><\/span><\/span> the <\/span><\/span><\/span>year<\/span><\/span><\/span> 2024.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to our test kitchens and our development team at Tors\u00e5ker Farm, we have the ideal conditions to innovate food products that can be used at for example school kitchens or senior homes.\u201d – Veronica \u00d6hrvik, project manager for Future Food, Axfoundation<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Updates on Future Food<\/h2>\n
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