EU Food Loss and Waste Prevention Hub

In a paper published in January 2023 in the Nutrients Journal, the authors Rossi L, Ferrari M and Ghiselli reported the Alignment of Recommendations of Dietary Guidelines with Sustainability Aspects: Lessons Learned from Italy’s Example and Proposals for Future Development. In the sustainability chapter of the Italian Dietary Guidelines (IDGs) food waste was primarily addressed, as priority attention was given to these aspects in Italy since the approval of a dedicated law in line with the international commitment to food loss and waste reduction and prevention. Considering the IDGs’ targets, the recommendations were focused on consumers’ behaviors, providing advice on how to plan food purchases, prepare and store food in light of waste reduction and prevention and as a strategy to save money. It was suggested to avoid buying more than needed, in order to keep food fresh and limit waste. Practical examples were given on how to re-utilize old ingredients or leftovers in new recipes. Label issues were stressed, in particular, the correct utilization of “best before” advice.

The IDGs sustainability recommendations were related to the 16 guiding principles of a sustainable healthy diet that include food waste in the principle n.13 and were analyzed in terms of their contribution to the achievement of the Sustainable Developing Goals, in particular of SDG Target 12.3. Lifestyle and behavior changes are important objectives of nutrition education. They can also help reduce the environmental impact of the food system, reduce food loss and waste and boost sustainable resource use. The inclusion of sustainability in dietary guidelines requires a multidisciplinary approach to cover the wide range of aspects of a sustainable diet. In the IDGs, it was possible to show that practical recommendations for improving food waste behavior can be passed on to consumers. The topic described in the paper was considered relevant and gained the cover of the journal issue.