As population growth requires new environmental protection regulations, there is an urgent need for innovative strategies in the areas of hygiene, waste management, packaging and technology to ensure food safety without compromising sustainability goals. By addressing these challenges, the food industry can achieve a safer and more sustainable future while meeting the demands of consumers and regulators. Erin Mertz, director of food safety and public health at Ecolab, examines the complicated balance between sustainability and food safety in the global food supply chain.

The task of feeding the Earth’s estimated 8 billion people safely and sustainably is extremely complex. As the world population continues to grow, governments around the world have enacted laws aimed at reducing the environmental impact of food production.

Yet, to meet these demands, food companies must simultaneously ensure that they do not put consumers at risk when sustainability policies potentially compromise food safety. In addition, sustainability practices must also achieve the intended impact without disrupting the global supply chain – a key concern for most leading food and beverage manufacturers.

Sustainability goals can be achieved without upending the global food supply, but this requires a thorough examination of the risks and opportunities for better sustainability practices in four key areas: hygiene, food loss and waste, packaging and technology.

hygiene

Rigorous cleaning and disinfection procedures form the basis for eliminating the risk of contamination from pathogens, allergens and other hazardous substances. However, traditional hygiene methods are also the cause of several sustainability concerns.

To achieve better hygiene and more sustainable operations, leading food and beverage manufacturers should focus on four key areas. These include:

1. Water management: Dry cleaning and low-moisture cleaning are great ways to reduce water consumption And Reducing opportunities for microbiological growth in the presence of water or moisture. Common dry or low-moisture cleaning methods include low-water chemicals and wipes, dry steam cleaning, vacuuming, and other mechanical soil removal methods. If you have an on-site wastewater treatment system, communicate water reductions to management as adjustments may need to be made to account for the reduced amount of water.

1. Chemical management: Dry cleaning and low-moisture cleaning are not always an option, and water has always been the best foundation for cleaning surfaces and leveraging the chemistry-enhancing benefits of heat. If processes require water, work with your disinfection chemical supplier to select the right cleaning product for the appropriate soil and conditions. A more thorough understanding of soil properties and the composition of your process water (hardness, pH, etc.) can help minimize the amount of cleaning chemicals required and avoid overuse of ineffective chemicals.

1. General hygiene plan and preventive maintenance programs: Two essential and often underutilized programs in a food production facility are the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS) and Preventive Maintenance (PM) programs. A well-documented MSS optimizes water and cleaning chemistry and streamlines operations without compromising food safety. A PM plan ensures proper operation and cleanability of equipment while reducing the risk of problems on the production line, such as leaks, foreign objects entering food from equipment or parts failing, damage to surfaces or micro-holes that can become breeding grounds for microbes, and other problems caused by improperly maintained equipment.

1. Sanitary design: Equipment that complies with hygiene principles helps reduce water and cleaning chemical consumption through greater efficiency. The ability to clean equipment at a microbiological level in a reasonable amount of time and with minimal tool use ensures that hygiene personnel can clean and disinfect properly, leaving equipment ready for safe, high-quality food production.

Food loss and waste

Accordingly the World Food Programme (WFP),One-third of the food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, costing around a trillion dollars annually. When this food ends up in landfills, it contributes to the production of greenhouse gas emissions.

The land and water used to produce these foods is also a burden on the environment, not to mention the byproducts lost during production and processing. A thorough understanding of the areas where food is lost in equipment or on the ground, the areas where food is rejected due to quality issues, and the exact causes of those quality issues can help identify areas where greater efficiency and lower landfill emissions are possible.

In cases where food is not suitable for human consumption, it can be composted or processed through aerobic/anaerobic digestion or, provided safety guidelines are met, used as animal feed.

Sustainable packaging

Sustainable packaging is a top priority for industry leaders in many ways – from reusable formats to biodegradable packaging to truly recyclable packaging.

When evaluating sustainable packaging, focus on its life cycle and supply chain. Ensure that the packaging is food-safe and manufactured to minimise the risk of microbial contamination from harmful chemicals. If the packaging is remanufactured and cleaned, ensure that the process follows hygiene principles and that the material can be easily microbially cleaned.

technology

Modern technological solutions can monitor production, hygiene, water consumption, environmental pollutants and many other areas of the plant. All of these tools can improve food safety and sustainability activities in the plant environment.

A good example of this is monitoring clean-in-place (CIP) cleaning cycles. When employees can monitor the four factors of cleaning (chemical concentration, water temperature, flow rate and circulation time), they can identify problems in real time and ensure that the cleaning cycle is appropriate and the equipment is truly clean. This contributes to better food quality and prevents the use of additional time, water and chemicals to repeat the incomplete cleaning cycle.

Security for a sustainable food supply

Food safety and sustainability are inextricably linked. Manufacturers must overcome the challenges of ensuring food safety And Sustainability must be promoted to meet regulatory requirements, consumer demands and resource constraints. The future of food production depends on combining these two goals to ensure a safe, high-quality and sustainable food supply for future generations.