Food provenance and food waste

What is food provenance? Food provenance and food waste What is food provenance? Food provenance refers to where food comes from, where is it grown, raised or reared: its point of origin. Understanding the origin of products is important, especially when making choices about food.

Food provenance and food waste EU protected food name scheme The EU protected food name scheme aims to recognise and guarantee traditional and regional products. Many products in the UK have been awarded protection marks.

Food provenance and food waste What are the EU protection labels? Protected Protected designation Traditional speciality geographical of origin (PDO) guaranteed (TSG) indication (PGI) The product must be The product must be To protect a product under produced, processed or produced, processed and TSG it must have a prepared within the prepared in one geographic traditional name and geographical area it is area and have distinct characteristics that make it associated with (e.g. characteristics from this different from similar Yorkshire Wensleydale area (e.g. Stilton blue products (e.g. traditionally cheese or Welsh lamb). cheese and Halen môn sea farmed Gloucester Old Spot salt). PDO differs from PGI pigs). in that all three processes must take place within the area that gives the product its name and it must be made with distinct local knowledge.

Food provenance and food waste Food miles Food miles are the distance that food travels from field to plate. The means of transport, as well as the distance, is an important consideration when choosing which foods to buy. We should try to reduce the amount of miles our food travels by shopping locally, buying seasonal food and shopping less often.

Food provenance and food waste Carbon footprint Assessing the carbon footprint of food involves looking at the entire production chain, including all the processes involved in the product’s creation and transportation, in order to calculate the total emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that it is responsible for.

Food provenance and food waste Food packaging: plastic Advantages Disadvantages • Can be moulded into different • Takes years to biodegrade shapes • Resistant to moisture and water • Lightweight • Can be printed on • Cheap • Can be rigid or flexible • Can be recycled

Food provenance and food waste Food packaging: metals Advantages Disadvantages • Strong • The metal can react with some • Withstands heat foods, it may need a metallic • Can be moulded into different liner shapes • Impermeable to contamination • Can be recycled • Preserves food • Can come in different thicknesses (e.g. tin foil trays or tin cans)

Food provenance and food waste Food packaging: glass Advantages Disadvantages • Can be moulded into a variety of • Fragile and easily broken shapes • Heavy • Can be coloured • Impermeable to contamination • Rigid • Transparent • Can be recycled • Resistant to high temperatures • Low cost • Moisture proof • Reusable

Food provenance and food waste Food packaging: cardboard and paper Advantages Disadvantages • Can be printed on easily • Not water resistant unless it is • Can be made in various laminated thicknesses • Can be easily squashed and the • Can be made of renewable contents damaged sources • Strong but lightweight • Can be folded into different shapes • Cheap • Can be laminated or coated to carry a liquid • Can be recycled • Biodegradable

Food provenance and food waste Environmental considerations of food packaging Making packaging requires energy and the uses of natural resources such as oil, water and trees, and this leads to global warming. Transporting goods causes air pollution. Throwing away packaging increases pressure on landfill sites, especially unnecessary waste which could be recycled. Type of packaging Length of time it takes to decompose Aluminium cans 80–200 years Foam plastic cups 50 years Plastic filmed containers 20–30 years Waxed drink cartons 3 months

Food provenance and food waste How can consumers reduce packaging waste? Buy local food that is not packaged as this has less food miles and minimises the global warming effect. Choose products that state the packaging is recycled. Recycle food packaging whenever possible. Use reusable carrier bags when shopping rather than plastics bags. Buy in bulk as larger packets are cheaper and use less packaging.

Food provenance and food waste Food waste Food waste is caused by consumers buying or cooking too much food, resulting in food being thrown away. To minimise your amount of food waste: plan your food shopping to avoid over buying store food in the correct place at the correct temperature be waste-free by using up leftovers, for example, in soups and smoothies understand the difference between ‘use-by’ and ‘best before’ dates compost food that cannot be eaten such as vegetable peelings and teabags.

Food provenance and food waste Food security The World Food Summit of 1996 defined food security as existing ‘when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life’. Unfortunately, globally there is not safe, sufficient food for all. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food security is built on three pillars: Food availability: sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis. Food access: sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. Food use: appropriate use based on knowledge of nutrition and care, as well as adequate water and sanitation.