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Project Topic
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Postharvest losses of fruit, vegetables and aromatic plants have high economic impact in the Mediterranean area, and contribute to food waste. One of the United Nations Priorities, the ZeroHunger Challenge, consists of cutting food waste by half by 2030, as adopted by European Parliament in May 2017. In the EU, every year, food waste amounts to 88 million tonnes, as 173 kg/person, for an emission of 170 million tons of carbon dioxide. This waste occurs from the field to the consumer, and thus innovative sustainable technologies are needed to extend the shelf-life of perishable Mediterranean fresh fruit, vegetables, and aromatic plants. Project StopMedWaste aims to extend the shelf-life of this produce by applying physical means, natural compounds and biocontrol agents. These treatments will be applied in the laboratory, under semi-commercial conditions and in the packing houses. The effects of these treatments on fruit quality, decay, and development of food-borne pathogens will be monitored during storage, transportation and shelf-life, to define the impact of these treatments on food waste. Moreover, logistic solutions and ICT devices with remote control will monitor environmental conditions during storage and transportation. Smart packaging will be developed for visual demonstration of the quality of fresh fruit, vegetables and aromatic plants for the consumer. The life-cycle assessment of these technologies will be monitored to define their sustainability. Training activities for operators will be organised and dissemination will be performed to share gained experiences and best practices among players and stakeholders through the whole supply chain, including consumers. Project StopMedWaste includes a multi-actor approach, with skills from researchers to companies involved in processing, storage and transportation, to move from production to consumer, following the properties of the produce under simulated and commercial retailer conditions.
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