Food waste is the loss of food intended for human consumption that is discarded or lost at any stage of the supply chain. This waste can have detrimental effects on the environment and result in financial losses for producers. According to Feeding America, The United States alone wastes 92-133 billion pounds of food each year. Producers lose billions of dollars each year due to this. Food waste also leads to shortages around the world and world hunger. To combat food waste, various technologies have been developed that enable food to be consumed or sold before its expiration date.

Technological Innovations in the Supply Chain

One notable technology is Smart Packaging. This packaging system utilizes sensors and labels that can detect the freshness of food. For instance, Insignia Technologies uses color-changing labels to indicate when food begins to deteriorate, allowing consumers to make informed decisions about its consumption.

Another example of a technology used to prevent food waste is Automated Harvesting and Sorting Machines. One company that uses this technology is TOMRA. Their robots and machines are equipped with sensors and algorithms to identify and sort crops at the optimal time. This process minimizes waste from damaged or overripe produce, ensuring that companies retain potential profits and consumers receive high-quality and flavorful food.

Retail Storage Solutions

At the retail level, there are many companies that utilize food waste prevention technologies. Imperfect Foods sells food at discounted prices that are considered “imperfect” and would not be sold in conventional grocery stores. This includes surplus and non-standard produce, close to its “best by” date, or excess inventory. Imperfect Foods benefits all stakeholders involved. The company generates revenue, consumers receive discounted but still high-quality food, the environment experiences reduced waste, and farmers gain access to additional sales opportunities. Imperfect Foods employs supply chain management and demand forecasting strategies to match surplus food with buyers.

Another company that utilizes food waste prevention technologies is Apeel Sciences. Apeel Sciences has developed a plastic film that can be applied to shelf fruits and vegetables to extend their shelf life. This coating can significantly increase the shelf life of produce, potentially doubling or even tripling its normal lifespan. As a result, fruits that would typically be discarded after one week can be stored for up to five weeks. Apeel Sciences employs natural coatings that effectively slow down the spoilage rate. By extending the shelf life, retailers reduce unsold inventory leading to less waste and more profits.

In order for Imperfect Foods and Apeel Sciences to actually preserve food, the food needs to stay fresh in the warehouses. This is where Axiom Cloud shines. Axiom Cloud uses Artificial Intelligence to analyze data about the refrigerators and freezers where the food is kept before being sold. It lets the staff know if the refrigerator is too warm or too cold for the stored food. Supermarkets lose millions of dollars annually due to food spoilage. About 10-15% of all food is wasted before it even reaches the grocery store, often due to equipment failure. Preventing equipment failure reduces inventory losses and avoids costly restocking.

Real-World Success and Environmental Impact

Many successful companies have implemented these useful technologies in order to stop wasting food and losing profits. One example of this is Whole Foods Market which uses Axiom Cloud. According to an Axiom Cloud case study, Axiom Cloud has saved Whole Foods Market $29,427 per store annually. They have had a close partnership since 2017 which has allowed them to reduce a lot of waste. Another example is Kroger, a large grocery retailer who uses Apeel Sciences to extend the life of their produce. In some cases, the waste was cut in half and Apeel Sciences has prevented millions of items from being discarded. However, Kroger has not made public the amount of savings from this initiative.

Paving the Way for a Cleaner Future

These technologies significantly reduce food waste annually, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient global environment. Food waste depletes land and water resources utilized in plant cultivation, resulting in financial losses for farmers and other stakeholders. Additionally, it generates greenhouse gases that exacerbate global warming. By adopting food waste prevention technologies, more companies can contribute to a cleaner future and mitigate waste generation.

Written by: Lucia Homer

Hailing from Palos Verdes Estates, California, Lucia Homer has a passion for writing about environmental advocacy. As an avid scuba diver, Lucia has witnessed the fragile state of marine ecosystems firsthand—most notably while diving with bull sharks in Fiji. These experiences serve as the catalyst for her writing, where she highlights the urgent need for marine conservation and the visible impact of human activity on our seas. When she isn't underwater, Lucia spends her time in the mountains, where she is an experienced alpine skier and summer hiker. This dual connection to the land and sea fuels her mission: to use storytelling as a tool for preservation, inspiring others to protect the natural world she cares for so deeply.