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Introduction: Consumer food waste at the household level results from a complex set of behaviors depending on the local food environment, among other factors. This study mainly aimed at comparing food waste behaviors in the Cilento Bio-District with those recorded at the national level to explore if the organic district model had an impact on food waste attitude as a sustainability element. Methods: Household food waste behavior indicators performed better at the national level than in the Cilento Bio-District, with some relevant exceptions, such as the avoidance of having too much food at home and impulse buying. Results: The study results suggest that some food waste attitudes in the rural community of the Bio-District might be so embedded in everyday practices that they are no longer perceived as relevant descriptors, considering the lower food waste (FW) levels in Cilento compared to national data. The key findings of the study were interpreted for policy action development. Discussion: The overall priority of actions would be the enhancement of consumers' abilities to impact practices for food waste prevention. Community engagement aspects and the local products' promotion should be particularly pursued in the Cilento Bio-District, while broader policy actions were proposed at the national level with the involvement of the different sectors of the food chain and the proposition of regulatory aspects (e.g., labels). Future research on Cilento Bio-District characteristics and the comparison with national data would need a more comprehensive examination of additional factors affecting the food system, such as dietary patterns or organic product consumption, to understand their potential influence on food waste and, in general, the sustainability of food choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the challenge of mitigating greenhouse gases produced mainly by fossil fuels, the recovery of agricultural and food waste to produce biohydrogen by dark fermentation is considered a promising source for the future. However, industrial-scale production remains challenging and several parameters significantly influencing the application of the technology need to be finely tuned. In the present study, an evaluation of the production of biohydrogen from cassava and pineapple waste, widely available in many African countries, was carried out using different microbial consortia originating from industrial biogas plants in Italy. The production of biohydrogen was defined both by screening the most appropriate inoculum and by using a "centered composite design" to optimize the inoculum pretreatment time and the pH. From cassava waste, which is abundant of starch (43%), the highest hydrogen levels (62.32 mL H 2 /gVS) were obtained at pH 7.72 adopting a 4-h heat treated inoculum originating from an anaerobic digester fed with corn and barley silage. Higher hydrogen yields (75.50 mL H 2 /gVS) were achieved at pH 6 once pineapple, which has a high content of hemicellulose, was converted by another selected inoculum, isolated from an olive pomace treating plant, where hemicellulose is one of the most common polysaccharide. The correlation coefficients R2 and adjusted R2 are close to unity, proving the model to be appropriate to express the concentration of hydrogen produced. This combined approach performed successfully and represents a strong strategy to optimize the production of biohydrogen from agricultural residues even in African contexts. [Display omitted] • African residues are good candidates for biohydrogen production. • Response surface methodology optimized bio-H 2 yields. • The selection of proper inoculum is decisive for bio-H 2 production. • Inoculum treatment and pH are major factors for bio-H 2 production. • Cassava and pineapple were converted up to 62 and 75 mL H 2 /gVS, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Food categories most wasted in Italy are fruit, vegetables, bread, milk and yogurt. • Larger town areas, 1 member families, and who have a low income wasted more. • Retired people and families with children wasted less. • This assessment poses the basis for a surveillance system on food waste in Italy. • Educational campaigns for specific target groups should be developed. In the present paper, the results of the first comparative assessment of household food waste in Italy are reported with a timeframe of three years coupled with an evaluation of seasonality effects. To pursue the aim of Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve consumer food waste by 2030, the Italian Observatory on Food Surplus, Recovery and Waste carried out two surveys in 2021 (July and November) to characterize household food waste and to evaluate the seasonality effects. Data were collected with a validated questionnaire. For monitoring purposes, data collected in July 2021 were compared with those collected in July 2018. In three years, waste increased from 187.2 to 203.8 g per capita per week (p = 0.00). Fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, bread, milk, yogurt, and non-alcoholic beverages, were the most wasted. In July the level of waste was higher for fruit (p = 0.00) while in November was higher for potato products (p = 0.04), pasta (p = 0.00), rice (p = 0.04), legumes (p = 0.01), and soups (p = 0.04). Data collected in July 2021 showed that retired people (p = 0.04), families with children (p = 0.01), particularly young children (9–13 years old) (p = 0.02), wasted less while who live in large town areas (p = 0.00), people with self-perceived limited monetary resources (p = 0.01) and mono-component families (p = 0.00) wasted more. The findings of the present work showed that there are specific population groups that wasted more with a gap between the intentions and the actions. The present data have a particular value posing the roots for the establishment of a food waste surveillance system in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by progressive loss in selected areas of the nervous system, are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide due to an aging population. Despite their diverse clinical manifestations, neurodegenerative diseases are multifactorial disorders with standard features and mechanisms such as abnormal protein aggregation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation. As there are no effective treatments to counteract neurodegenerative diseases, increasing interest has been directed to the potential neuroprotective activities of plant-derived compounds found abundantly in food and in agrifood by-products. Food waste has an extremely negative impact on the environment, and recycling is needed to promote their disposal and overcome this problem. Many studies have been carried out to develop green and effective strategies to extract bioactive compounds from food by-products, such as peel, leaves, seeds, bran, kernel, pomace, and oil cake, and to investigate their biological activity. In this review, we focused on the potential neuroprotective activity of agrifood wastes obtained by common products widely produced and consumed in Italy, such as grapes, coffee, tomatoes, olives, chestnuts, onions, apples, and pomegranates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was investigated biohydrogen production on the effects of different ratio of food waste to seed digestate and pH value from co-digestion process in anaerobic reactor. The seed digestate was mixture of cattle manure 45%, corn silage 25%, chicken manure 15%, and olive pomace 15% which was collected from the biogas plant in central Italy. It was found that the peaks of total biogas and the biohydrogen productions were 1355 ± 26 and 436 ± 10 mL whereas the biohydrogen yield was 50.4 mL/g-VS (45.8 mL/g-COD) with 43.33% COD removal rate, the bacteria to substrate volatile solids (VS) ratio was 2:1 where seed digestate to food waste was 6:4 under pH 6.5. As a consequence, food waste with a high COD concentration can be adapted C/N ratio by the cattle manure and chicken manure in the seed digestate which resulted in a high biohydrogen production. The food waste co-digestion system mixed with biogas plant digestate is one of approach to increase total biogas production. • Food waste can be adapted C/N ratio by the cattle manure and chicken manure in the seed digestate. • The food waste co-digestion system mixed with biogas plant digestate can increase total biogas production. • The optimal biohydrogen yield was 50.4 mL/g VS whereas the COD removal rate reached 43.33%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article addresses the issue of food waste through the study of the Too Good To Go (TGTG) movement and the contribution that the app has made to raising user awareness in the fight against food waste. After highlighting the phenomenon at European and national level, the article focuses on the awareness and motivation of the users of the TGTG app through the analysis of the discussions in two Facebook groups, among the most numerous in Italy, supported by some data from a qualitative survey conducted on a sample of Italian consumers. The analysis highlights a large presence of the TGTG initiative on the national territory in different Italian regions. The growing number of users of the app shows that the initiative is also successful in Italy. However, users seem to place more emphasis on saving money and the quality of food than on the joint project to combat food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food redistribution is increasingly recognized as a key strategy for tackling food waste and improving food security. However, a comprehensive assessment of its environmental impacts remains a challenge. This study fills this gap by investigating the role of food redistribution in minimizing waste, reducing production pressures, and mitigating the environmental impacts of the agri-food chain. In particular, this research focuses on mapping the flow of recovered food within the Ortomercato system, Italy's largest fruit and vegetable wholesale market, by third sector associations. A comprehensive cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment was conducted to quantify the recovered fruit and vegetable products, assess their environmental impact, and estimate the associated environmental credits through the prevention of food waste. The findings indicate that the production phase has the largest environmental impact, accounting on average for 63% of the total impact. The study employs a net balance approach to demonstrate the success of food recovery efforts, which have saved over 136 tonnes of food from the market over a 49-day period and generated environmental credits equivalent to 169 tonnes of CO 2 eq. per year. These results highlight the environmental impact of food redistribution and provide insights for operational optimization and the establishment of an environmental budget for the system. Furthermore, the potential for regulating these environmental credits and promoting the benefits of food redistribution through public channels is highlighted. While the research addresses the mapping of food flows and their environmental impacts, there is a significant gap in the assessment of the socio-economic impacts associated with food redistribution. Further research is needed to understand how this practice affects local communities, economies and social dynamics, and to contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of its effectiveness. • LCA was conducted on intercepted surpluses of fruits and vegetables. • The key flows defining the Third Sector operations in Ortomercato were outlined. • RECUP saved 136.84 tons of fresh produce in 49 days of operation in Ortomercato. • Environmental Impact Balance predicts credits from surplus redistribution. • RECUP's activity generated 169 tons of CO 2 eq environmental carbon credits annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste and obesity and overweight conditions are both linked to the unsustainability of current food systems. This article argues that overnutrition should be considered a form of food waste and it provides a first estimation of the quantity of food over-consumed in Italy. This is done by calculating the excess calories consumed by obese and overweight people and converting them into food quantities by comparison with a typical Italian diet. The total quantity of food consumed in excess by Italian citizens due to overnutrition is calculated as 1.553 million tonnes per year, which is comparable to the current national household food waste assessments. The environmental impact arising from production and consumption of this food accounts for 6.15 Mt of CO2-eq per year, as estimated by a Life Cycle Analysis conducted on the 46 food categories which compose the typical Italian diet. Overnutrition in the South-Islands regions of Italy exerts the largest impact (31.6%), followed by the North-West (26.6%), the Centre (22.2%), and the North-East (19.1%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A bio-circular model applied to food waste management is illustrated. • Dry anaerobic digestion and composting of food waste are the process key. • Biomethane for transport system and compost for organic farming are produced. • Environmental sustainability is confirmed by mass and energy balances. In light of the adoption of recent global policies and strategies for a more sustainable food waste management system and a greater control of environmental impacts, this study describes a circular bioeconomy plant model, currently operating in South Italy, for treatment and enhancement of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. The key basis for plant activity is dry anaerobic digestion of separately collected organic fraction of municipal solid waste (SC-OFMSW) followed by digestate composting process. Biomethane for use in the transport sector is obtained by biogas cleaning and upgrading, while high-quality compost for organic farming is produced by digestate composting. Plant activities are completed by the transformation of part of the produced waste into refuse derived fuel (RDF) to be allocated to waste-to-energy plants and the treatment of odour emissions which allows the recovery of ammonium sulphate as a fertilizer. A rooftop photovoltaic system supplies most of electric energy needed by the plant. For plant activities relative to 2020, carbon footprint was equal to −112 kg CO 2 eq. for Mg of organic waste, while depletion of fossil resources was estimated at −89.6 kg oil eq. Mg−1 of waste. Primary energy demand of food waste treatment system was −2.66 GJ Mg−1 of input waste. Replacement of natural gas with biomethane for transport sector provided the greatest improvement contribution for all the examined categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study frames the household food waste challenge in the microeconomic theory context by proposing a model that considers food waste a consequence of inefficient consumer choices. A data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology was applied to factor consumer's efficiency level dimension, starting from data collected through a web survey conducted in Italy with a sample of 530 individuals responsible for their households' food-shopping. The findings confirm that food waste is a complex issue, affected by both behavioural and psychological factors, synthesized in three indices constructed with fuzzy analysis. The results show that the shopping behaviour index generates a higher average efficiency score for food waste minimization than the food waste concerns and moral attitudes indices. Furthermore, those drivers have different efficiency levels in reducing food waste with reference to gender, age, family composition, and educational level. The results have several implications for policymakers: they highlight the need to implement tailored educational and information campaigns that consider the most important targets identified, such as large families with children, young people, and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Olive pomaces from Southern Italy autochthonous cultivars (Carolea, Nocellara and Roggianella) were eco‐friendly extracted to reach value‐added ingredients for the production of fortified pear beverages. Chemical composition of the extracts was carried out by 1H‐NMR analysis, while antioxidant features were in vitro evaluated. The extracts displayed remarkable scavenger properties against DPPH (IC50 values in the range 0.051–0.171 mg mL−1) and ABTS (IC50 values in the range 0.035–0.047 mg mL−1) radical species. Reactive species in the extracts and inulin chains were involved in an eco‐friendly radical process by grafting reaction to obtain macromolecular conjugates with outstanding antioxidant features, in terms of both antioxidant and scavenging performances, representing an attractive source in the design of functional foods. In this context, the conjugates were employed to enrich pear juice, to achieve reinforced beverages displaying remarkable antioxidant properties in comparison with its non‐functional counterparts, as well as its maintenance over time (20 days). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic fraction (mainly food waste) is typically the most abundant of the separately collected waste streams. The research aims at investigating the influence of different types of collection bag on the environmental performances of the food waste management chain in Italy. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) between two alternative systems based on paper or bioplastic collection bags was carried out. It included the collection bags manufacturing and distribution, their use at the household, the transportation of collected food waste and its subsequent anaerobic digestion, including the valorisation of useful outputs and the management of residues. The two systems were modelled mainly with primary data related to the current management system and to tests performed on bags. The LCA was performed with two different modelling approaches applied in the environmental product declaration (EPD) system and in the product environmental footprint (PEF) studies, respectively. In the scenario representing the average conditions, higher environmental impacts are shown by the use of bioplastic bags compared to paper ones with the EPD approach (+257%/+576%). With the PEF approach, the differences between the two systems are lower (−55%/+133%). Moreover, paper bags could allow for further impact reductions assuming a decrease of the food waste collection frequency, allowed by higher weight losses and a lower generation of leachate and odour during the household storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foodservice is estimated to produce 12% of the total food waste in Europe, and it is a major target for policies against food waste. The amount of food lost during foodservice operations has been assessed in the literature as a figure ranging from 10% to 41% of the quantity prepared in the kitchen, either as non-served food or as plate waste. In this paper, a systematization of the current initiatives against food waste in EU school foodservice is provided. This background is used as a base to discuss the results of a direct assessment of food waste conducted in 78 primary schools in Italy, where 28.6% of the food prepared was not consumed by the diners. Part of it was saved for reuse, while the rest was disposed and treated as organic waste or, to a lesser extent, as unsorted waste. The flows of food waste, represented by a Sankey diagram, show that some actions may be implemented in order to save more food from disposal; for example, implementing donation programmes for non-served food or using doggy bags to avoid the disposal of plate waste. A greater effort shall be put on preventive actions, aimed at avoiding the generation of food waste; in this sense regular monitoring at schools may act as a first preventive measure as it can increase the awareness of students, teachers and foodservice staff over the issue of food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The bulk of Millennial consumers surveyed knows food with upcycled ingredients. • Millennials show positive purchase intentions for food with upcycled ingredients. • Food Neophobia and Food Technology Neophobia negatively impact willingness to buy. • Purchase intentions are shown for food that benefit health and environment. Upcycled ingredients are one of the most significant current trends in the food industry aimed to tackle the challenge of solid food loss reduction. This study investigates the potential market among Millennial consumers for products enriched with upcycled ingredients in Italy. We surveyed a sample of 317 Italian Millennial consumers, using a web-based survey. 62% of respondents declared to be informed about the existence of food made from upcycled ingredients and 53% declared to be willing to buy this novel food. Also, 69% of respondents think that food enriched with upcycled ingredients can bring environmental benefits, while only 40% believe that it can bring health benefits. Using a logit model to analyse consumer preferences, we found that food neophobia and food technology neophobia negatively impact on the likelihood of being willing to buy food produced with upcycled ingredients. Also, consumers who give high importance to food certification are less likely to be willing to buy upcycled foods. Contrariwise, reading labels and believing that upcycled foods are healthier or more environmentally friendly positively impacts on the willingness of Millennial consumers to buy these foods. Results for the sample analysed eventually suggest that giving right information to consumers about the environmental and health characteristics of the products, through clear labelling, could increase their market uptake thus helping to reduce food loss and contributing to reaching circular economy objectives in the agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a growing population, both food and waste production will increase. There is an urgent need for innovative ways of valorizing waste. The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) efficiently converts agri-food by-products (BPs) into high-quality materials; its rearing process yields larvae (BSFL) rich in fat and protein for feed purposes, with "frass" acting as organic fertilizer. While the insect rearing sector is expanding, few producers use BPs. Therefore, a case study approach was adopted to evaluate the potential for establishing an Italian BSFL production plant on BPs available on the territory. After contacting more than 115 agri-food companies (maximum 100 km from the BSFL plant), they were classified based on sector, distance, size, and BPs (quantity, seasonality, management). BPs with a low value (fruit and vegetable residues) were treated as waste, associated with costs and low valorization. By merging the available BPs on the territory and following the literature on BSFL nutritional needs' two diets (Scenario BSFL) were created, assessing their suitability comparing them to the current full-scale plant diet (Scenario 0). The exploitation of BPs for BSFL rearing reduced local waste production by 52 % compared to conventional composting (Scenario 0). In addition, integrating BPs into the larval feed formulation increased BSFL production value (+47 times). These results highlight the potential of locally-based insect rearing to valorize BPs and create a network of sustainable actors within the agri-food industry. Further investigations are needed to improve the connection between agri-food and insect industrial activities, expanding this framework to other regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

• The majority of the Horeca managers in Italy recognize the importance of food waste. • Yet, this only triggers the adoption of strategies to reduce it in the kitchen. • Moreover, this process is essentially indirect, mediated by food waste measurement. • Pre-kitchen and post-kitchen strategies are not affected by importance recognition. • Overall reduction strategies' adoption is low, especially for post-kitchen. Recent works have found a negative correlation between the amount of food waste generated in foodservice outlets and the extent to which managers perceive it as a relevant problem. However, it is hard to believe that food flows would be impacted by wishful thinking alone. In this paper, we try to offer an explanation to these findings by testing the associations between importance recognition, food waste measurement and compliance to waste reduction strategies in three different stages (pre-kitchen, in-kitchen and post-kitchen). We do so by fitting a generalized structural equation model in the results of a survey ran in Italy with almost 500 Horeca (Hotels, restaurants and cafeterias) managers. Our findings reveal that importance perception triggers strategies' adoption in only one of the three stages (in-kitchen). Furthermore, this association is essentially dependent on the mediation performed by measurement, suggesting that importance recognition covers a complex pathway to arrive in reduced amounts of waste. Additional results indicate that larger and higher-end outlets tend to place more importance on food waste. Moreover, although 77% of the sample recognizes the relevance of food waste to their businesses, the incorporation of some of the main reduction strategies is still low, as 85% of the establishments report the adoption of no more than 3 out of the 9 strategies presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• School canteens role a key play in pupil's nutrition and behaviour education. • LCA and ELCC methods unveiled the environmental and cost impact of food waste. • Food waste at the school meal almost accounted 1/3 of the food served. • Several environmental and cost impacts are embedded in food waste. • Promising impact reduction are pointed by the sensitivity analysis. The challenge of increasing food demand due to population growth urges all stakeholders to act against food losses and waste, especially in light of their environmental, cost, and social impacts. In developed countries, awareness raising, and prevention are particularly important at the consumption level, where food waste mainly occurs. In this sense, public school canteens represent a unique setting, because of their capacity of conveying food habits, while sustainably managing available resources. This research assessed the environmental and cost impact of food consumption and wastage in public school canteens through a case study in Italy. It combined life cycle assessment, environmental life cycle costing, and quarter-waste visual methods. The functional unit was defined as the average meal provided by the catering service to 3–10 years old students. Primary data on type and amounts of purchased food, transport, and utilities consumption were provided by the catering service, while food waste assessment was performed in selected representative school canteens. Secondary data on background processes were mainly sourced from databases and literature. Food waste at schools represented 20–29% of the prepared meal, depending on students' age and seasonal menu. The global warming potential (GWP) of the average meal was 1.11–1.50 kg CO 2 -eq, mostly due to the food production impact. The meal preparation had the largest impact on costs. When considering embedded impacts, food waste was responsible for 14–18% of GWP and 6–11% of the costs. The sensitivity analysis showed promising environmental and cost reductions by introducing changes in the meal composition and preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Italy, the Banco Alimentare Onlus manages a network of 8,000 charitable organizations that distribute 67,000 tons of foodstuffs to 1.6 million needy persons. To provide their volunteers with the required food safety knowledge, the Banco Alimentare del Piemonte Onlus commissioned the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta to hold training courses in food safety. Before and after each session, the participants completed a questionnaire to evaluate their knowledge on the topic of food safety. The responses were entered in a dedicated database and analyzed using STATA ver. 15.1. Comparison of the scores for each participant before and after training revealed a considerable discordance [ICC 0.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00-0.18]. Analysis of the post-training questionnaires showed that the number of questions left unanswered decreased and the number of correct answers increased. The difference between the percentage of correct and incorrect responses before and after the training course was statistically significant (P<0.001). Comparison of responses to the pre- and post-training questionnaires provided the data for statistical evaluation of the efficacy of the training course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The healthcare sector greatly impacts the environment through energy, transport, product use, disposal and food service. This requires significant interventions to reduce energy consumption and waste generation and increase customer satisfaction simultaneously. Considering the need to investigate food waste amounts and energy consumption in hospitals, the present research has a triple goal. First, it evaluates energy consumption and efficiency by comparing cook-hold and cook-chill catering. Second, it estimates the customer satisfaction of the served meals and third, it assesses the food waste quantities at lunch and dinner among hospital patients. Specifically, the research combines (a) the evaluation of the energy consumption, based on primary data collected in a cooking center with a production capacity of 1590 meals per production cycle; (b) the investigation of the consumers' behavior among 984 patients located in nine different hospital units in Southern Italy; (c) the measurement of food waste based on questionnaire-survey data. Results highlight the reduction in diesel consumption (– 42%) and in electricity consumption (– 93%), as well as the reduction in food waste (– 85%) when comparing cook-hold with cook-chill catering. This research illustrates a guideline in the field of efficient catering. It helps identify sustainable pathways and interventions toward energy efficiency, customer satisfaction, and food waste minimization for policymakers, healthcare professionals, catering companies or patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Results show that attitude and subjective norms significantly affect the intention to reduce food waste. • Results show that also relevant conflicting goals significantly affect the intention to reduce food waste. • The intention to reduce food waste negatively affects food waste behavior. Despite their generally negative attitude toward food waste, consumers often pursue goals that can inhibit their intention to reduce food waste. Identifying these goals that inhibit consumers' intention to reduce food waste is essential for the development of successful public policy and retail approaches designed to curb or reduce household food waste. First, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews (N = 110) aimed at identifying the consumers' main goals conflicting with their attitude toward food waste. Four main conflicts emerged as relevant in consumers' minds: being a good provider , concerns over possible health risks , healthy diet , and saving money. We then ran a quantitative study on adult consumers (N = 163), aimed at testing an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model with the inclusion of such conflicting goals as additional predictors of the consumers' intention to reduce food waste. Both studies were conducted in Italy. Results show that three out of four conflicting goals – being a good provider , concerns over possible health risks , and healthy diet – together with attitude and subjective norms , significantly affect the intention to reduce food waste. In turn, the intention to reduce food waste negatively affects food waste behavior. This study contributes to research on food waste by identifying additional and previously neglected predictors of the intention to reduce food waste. In turn, these results provide evidence of the existence of other valuable entry points to use for the design of successful interventions aimed at reducing household food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food poverty and food waste are two major contemporary food system problems, which have (re)gained prominence amongst both scholars and policy-makers, due to recent economic and environmental concerns. In this context, the culturally dominant perspective portrays charitable food redistribution as a "win–win solution" to confront food poverty and food waste in affluent societies, although this view is contested by many scholars. This paper applies the notions of framings and flat/sharp keyings to unpack the different narratives entailed by public discourses on food waste and food poverty in Italy. The aim is to problematize the representation of the recent anti-waste/pro-donations law as the optimal policy measure to effectively rectify both food poverty and food waste. The paper argues that the widespread public support for the law reflects the interpretation of charitable food redistribution as a consensus frame, standing for the convergence between flat positions and is reinforced by confusion on terms and responsibilities. Indeed, the strength of the law lies in the capacity to reconcile different positions and bring actors together around a short-term objective, whose foundations have deep roots in the common ethics. However, if the debate is to be moved forward, trade-offs between different framings of problems at stake should be explicitly navigated when designing policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of food waste is increasingly attracting scientific and public interest due to the magnitude of the problem (in terms of quantity and global reach) and the growing attention to healthy and sustainable food production and consumption. As a consequence, an increasing number of initiatives aim to reduce the food discarded in each stage of the supply chain, from production and storage down to cooking and consumption. Still, food waste remains an unsolved issue, and many initiatives struggle to move from the design stage to full-scale implementation. This research paper focuses on a successful food waste reduction project in a school canteen in northern Italy. The case study illustrated in this paper demonstrates how it is possible to implement an effective initiative to reduce food waste with limited investment by leveraging the involvement of stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few years, much attention has been paid to the phenomenon of household food waste which largely contributes to the total amount of food waste generated in industrialised countries. The reduction of food waste has been also included within the European strategy of circular economy and ambitious objectives have been assigned to the European member states. Youths proved to be the segment of the population most inclined to waste food and therefore they need to be monitored. This exploratory study, based on a survey involving 380 youths residing in Italy and Spain, aims at investigating the complexities of food waste behaviour within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. By referring to the PLS-SEM approach, we analyse the validity of the relationships between individual habits, attitudes, addiction to marketing ploys and sales strategies, and attitudes towards food waste. It also aims at verifying the existence of mediator effects in order to better understand these relationships. The construction of the Importance Performance Matrix Analysis enables identification of the dimensions which greatly influence positive behaviour, and whether urgent attention and interventions are required. The results confirm that behavioural models are appropriate for explaining youths' behaviour towards food waste with an important role played by the perceived behavioural control. Situational factors which characterize the moment of purchase should be carefully considered and monitored. This paper concludes that marketing and sale strategies negatively influence the waste behaviour of individuals, emphasizing the important role of retailers in preventing the generation of food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since COVID-19 outbreak, States adopted different combinations of measures to restrain its spread that affected individual behaviors and the already fragile local and global food systems. The aim of this research is to contribute to the scientific debate around food systems sustainability through the analysis of behavioral shifts in household food waste drivers, specifically occurring during the recent global pandemic. A survey was developed based on an extended version of the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) approach. A representative sample of 3000 respondents in Italy and in the Netherlands (1500 per country) completed this survey in May 2020, while lockdown to mitigate the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak was active in both countries. A cluster analysis based on individual food-waste- related behaviors identified four homogenous groups of consumers in the Italian sample and five in the Dutch sample. The comparative analysis of these groups led to the identification of several communalities in behavioral patterns, both within and between the two countries. Results suggest that in both countries, self-reported quantities of household food waste actually decreased, with a stronger reduction reported by Italian consumers. The MOA approach allowed to explain this perceived reduction as largely depending on the increase of opportunity to dedicate more time - to food-related activities as compared to the pre-COVID-19 period, with positive consequences on food management ability. These findings assist in drafting recommendations for tailored interventions to reduce the amount of domestic food waste and preserve positive behaviors emerged during lockdown, that could be continued in the absence of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the EU 89 million tons of food are wasted every year, the largest fraction of which at the household level. Despite the key role of consumers in waste production, their approach to food waste has not been deeply analyzed so far. This paper aims at exploring the consumer attitude towards food waste, by analyzing the results of a survey held in two Italian cities in 2014, focused on the extent and reasons of the household food waste, and on consumers' perception of effects and possible remedies to food waste. The results highlighted a general awareness of the effects of food waste, although the perception of such effects was more developed when they directly concerned the consumers. The main reasons of food waste declared by the respondents were the mismanagement of expiration dates, over-purchase, over-cooking, and a lack of knowledge about how to reuse the leftovers. A cluster analysis was conducted to identify consumer profiles with a similar approach to food waste. Such profiles were then analyzed across the two samples in order to check for possible overlapping, which could lead to a careful generalization of the results. Namely, we found 4 consumer profiles, named as "careful", "virtuous", "aware" and "unconcerned", in both the samples analysed. Despite the many limitations of this very first analysis on household food waste, some interesting insights emerge, which might be usefully deepened in order to design effective strategies against food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approximately 1/3 of the food produced for consumption is lost/wasted globally being discarded by retail shops and households. Reducing food losses can thus make a significant contribution to ensuring global food supply. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the Italy's top ten food retailers try to promote sustainable consumptions within stores. Some simple "walk through/visual observation and information collection" surveys conducted within the largest store operated by each of the best food retailers within a province in South Italy provided the empirical materials. Then, conclusions suggest how paths direct to sustainable consumptions should be inserted into the large food retailers' business models. Defining a bio-business model can move peoples towards zero-waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste represents a multi-sectoral issue and influences the economy, society and environment. Considering that over 50% of food waste is generated from household consumption, the issue has been included among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with the aim of halving its quantity by 2030. However, the COVID-19 pandemic imposed several variations in the agri-food industry in terms of food manufacturing, storage and distribution, changing at the same time food access, food consumption and food waste behavior. The present paper, through an online-based questionnaire among 831 respondents from Italy and the application of the cumulative logit model, investigates consumer behavior after the lockdown with reference to unpredictable lifestyles, improvements in smart food delivery and never-experienced time management. Results illustrate that always-at-home consumers (forced to stay at home 24 h a day) are more likely to perceive food waste and reduce its amount, whereas discontinuous smart working makes food purchase, preparation and consumption activities even more stressful and complex. Furthermore, smart food delivery tends to increase consumers' awareness of meals, improving buying decisions and indirectly reducing food waste generation. The unjustifiable prevalence of household food waste represents a major barrier to the achievement of food security, health insurance and hunger reduction, but also the most promising entry point to stress in the achievement of private and public benefits. Thus, the active role of education among young generations must be enhanced. • The cumulative logit model represents a useful tool to investigate consumers' behavior. • Always-at-home consumers are more likely to perceive and reduce food waste. • Smart food delivery tents to increase consumers' awareness on meals. • Unemployment and student status have positive effects on food waste perception. • Improvements in time management are essential to reach the goal of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic waste is often indicative of the amount of food waste, and it primarily reflects the consumption habits of households. As underlined by the applicable principles of the Circular Economy (CE), prevention is always the first choice when dealing with waste but evaluating the prevention framework without considering the application of waste separation policies appears to be a complex task. Considering Italian municipal waste management, the implementation of separation policies has been delayed in several provinces. It is difficult to assess the effectiveness of prevention policies established by international and national authorities in this context. The lack of organic waste separation is registered as a missing value in datasets: such instances are often non-random. The research objective of this work is to assess whether economic activity affects organic waste generation and, once the selection bias has been investigated, try to assess the overall implications. Initial findings corroborate the Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis under biased and unbiased estimations. The tipping point is relatively lower when the inverse Mills Ratio is considered, which is positive. Hence, an increase of the expected economic activity requirement could result in a cost that municipalities incur when delaying the enforcement of separation policies. The missing information undermines the potential feedback from practitioners and other stakeholders capable of steering expectations: the unobserved flows have to reach a certain level before being collected. • Lag in separation policy limits the possibility to test organic waste prevention. • Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis under Heckman model. • Organic waste, socioeconomic drivers of 103 Italian provinces from 1999 to 2019. • Selection bias reveals a hidden cost of delaying separation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household food waste reduction is an important component of the EU action for waste management, and one of the subgoals of SDG 12. So far, policy actions have focused more on communication campaigns and food donations, and less on the link with sustainable production. Despite the growing number of publications, existing literature has not assessed the waste reduction potential of alternative food networks on the consumer side. Our preliminary study addresses this gap by conducting a pilot food waste quantification study on a sample of 24 households that adhere to community-supported agriculture or the alternative food networks in a municipality of Northern Italy. Given the small sample size, the external validity of these results needs to be tested in future studies. Nevertheless, preliminary results suggest that policymakers should consider the role of alternative food networks in the strategy to achieve SDG 12.3. This will require a revision of the approach currently being practiced in the sector, especially at the urban level. • Policy actions against food waste focus on communication and donations rather than on sustainable consumption & production. • Urban Food Policies follow the same approach, with few links between sustainable production & consumption and food waste. • So far, household food waste has never been studied in relation to Sustainable Community Movement Organizations (SCMOs). • Results of this study show that SCMOs participant waste about a half of mainstream consumers in Italy. • Urban Food Policies should consider the SCMOs as drivers of less food waste, addressing efforts towards this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, some countries have replaced single-use plastic bags with bags manufactured from compostable plastic film that can be used for collecting food wastes and composted together with the waste. Because industrial compost contains undeteriorated fragments of these bags, application to field soil is a potential source of small-sized residues from these bags. This study was undertaken to examine deterioration of these compostable film microplastics (CFMPs) in field soil at three different localities in Italy. Deterioration of CFMPs did not exceed 5.7% surface area reduction during the 12-month experimental period in two sites located in Northern Italy. More deterioration was observed in the Southern site, with 7.2% surface area reduction. Deterioration was significantly increased when fields were amended with industrial compost (up to 9.6%), but not with home compost. Up to 92.9% of the recovered CFMPs were associated with the soil fungus Aspergillus flavus , with 20.1%–71.2% aflatoxin-producing isolates. Application of industrial compost resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of CFMPs associated with A. flavus. This observation provides an argument for government regulation of accumulation of CFMPs and elevation of hazardous fungi levels in agricultural soils that receive industrial compost. • In many countries, compostable plastic bags are used for collecting food waste. • Bags are composted together with food waste in industrial composting facilities. • Compost can contain a variable amount of these compostable film microplastics. • When applied to soil, compost is thus a source of compostable film microplastics. • Compost can also increase the size of the soil Aspergillus flavus population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper engages in a critique of Italian and EU agricultural bio-waste policy, taking a relational approach to understanding the role of these materials in socio-material networks of production. Specifically, I consider how the challenges posed by excess materials of agricultural production fit into larger concerns about rural sustainability, both social and environmental. Drawing on a number of case studies from the Italian winemaking industry, I demonstrate the legislative creation of waste from the by-products of winemaking such as grape marc and vine wood. By physically removing bio-wastes from the socio-material context of their production, the current legislation privileges capital and technologically intensive methods for the management of bio-wastes. This process results in environmental contradictions and an unequal distribution of economic and societal benefits from the utilization of these materials. What is needed, I argue, is the incorporation of excess materials into thinking about local agro-ecologies as environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus fruits are one of the principal fruits used to produce juices. Over the years, these fruits have been recognized as new health-promoting agents. In this work, food wastes derived from autochthonous citrus fruits of Southern Italy, named Limone di Rocca Imperiale, Arancia Rossa Moro, and Arancia Bionda Tardivo from Trebisacce, were analyzed. After fresh-squeezing juice, peel and pomace were employed to obtain six different extracts using an ultrasound-assisted method in a hydroalcoholic solvent. The extracts were analyzed in terms of qualitative composition, antioxidant properties, and antiproliferative activity on MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and BJ-hTERT cell lines. GC-MS and LC-ESI-MS analyses showed different compounds: of note, limonin-hexoside, neodiosmin, obacunone glucoside, and diacetyl nomilinic acid glucoside have been identified as limonoid structures present in all the samples, in addition to different polyphenols including naringenin-glucoside, hesperetin-O-hexoside-O-rhamnoside-O-glucoside, diferuloyl-glucaric acid ester, chlorogenic acid, and the presence of fatty acids such as palmitic, myristic, and linoleic acids. These extracts were able to exert antioxidant activity as demonstrated by DPPH and ABTS assays and, although at higher doses, to reduce the cell viability of different solid tumor cell lines, as shown in MTT assays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Private food waste behaviours can deviate from the opinions stated during social interactions. • We create an ABM of opinion exchange with interaction threshold and behaviour-opinion gap. • Calibration with Italian data on food waste shows that limited inter-group mixing is enough to trigger change. • Committed individuals can convince others if they show some between-group variability and open mindedness. • Policy against food waste should promote face-to-face interactions between diverse groups. Consumer food waste, like many environmental behaviours, takes place in private, and is not directly subject to social monitoring. Nevertheless, social interactions can affect private opinions and behaviours. This paper builds an agent-based model of interactions between consumers heterogeneous in their sociability, their initial opinions and behaviours related to food waste, and their willingness to consider different opinions, in order to assess how social interactions can affect private behaviours. Compared to existing models of opinion dynamics, we innovate by including a range of "cognitive dissonance" between stated opinions and actual behaviours that consumers are willing to accept before changing one of the two. We calibrate the model using questionnaire data on household food waste in Italy. We find that a limited degree of mixing between different socio-demographic groups, namely adult and young consumers, is enough to trigger change, but a certain openness of mind is required from more wasteful individuals. Equally, a small group of environmentally committed consumers can attract a sizeable share of the population towards low-waste behaviours if they show a certain variability of opinions and are willing to compromise with individuals in their close neighbourhood in terms of opinions. These findings can help design effective interventions to promote pro-environmental behaviours, taking advantage of the beneficial network effects while anticipating negative externalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 1131 Italians were surveyed on out-of-home food waste and measures to reduce it. • Women, those dining out often and unaware about food waste's impacts waste more. • Women's more wasteful behavior seem to derive from gender-biased portion sizes. • Doggy bags, awareness campaigns and last minute markets are supported by consumers. • Shortened menus, unrequested advice on portion size and its reduction are not. Food waste impacts the environment and the financial gains of foodservice establishments. Reducing it entails targeting the customers, as plate waste is the primary source of waste in these outlets. However, little is known about why some customers are more prone to not finishing their food. Furthermore, many of the measures proposed to curb plate waste can potentially generate a negative customer experience, yet no work has tried to ascertain whether diners actually disapprove of them. To investigate these issues, we surveyed 1,131 consumers in Italy. We tested the association between socio-demographic and attitudinal features and self-reported plate waste. We also measured their support for six contentious strategies for reducing food waste. Our results show that women, those who dine out more often, and those that are less aware of the social/environmental consequences of food waste tend to leave their plate unfinished more frequently. Additionally, although customers approve of doggy bags, information dissemination through awareness campaigns, and sales in last minute markets, they are resistant to portion size reduction without a corresponding price reduction, unsolicited advice on the quantity of food ordered, and limits on the number of options in the menu. Finally, support for the measures correlated strongly with awareness, and women complained significantly more about oversized portions. In addition to profiling out-of-home wasters and revealing which strategies do not affect customer experience, these results suggest the existence of a gender bias in portion size definition and underline how awareness campaigns can indirectly lead to reductions in food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halving per capita food waste (FW) is one of the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. This study aims to evaluate the weight and monetary values of food waste among a sample of Italian families. In a representative sample of 1142 families, the adults responsible for food purchases and in charge of preparing meals were assessed with a self-administrated questionnaire measuring quantity and typology of FW. These data were linked with food purchases figures measured as an average of four weeks. Italian families wasted 399 kg of food per week (4.4% of the weight of food purchased), which correspond to a monetary value of €1.052 (3.8% of the overall food expenditure). Clustering the food groups according to waste quantity, typology, and monetary value made it possible to show that price has a role in the generation of food waste, as the lower the unitary cost, the higher the quantity of waste. Consequently, foods with high unitary costs were less wasted. The results of this study showed that Italian consumers are sensitive to the economic impact of waste and this should be considered in sensitization campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy approach imposes the complete recovery of components, materials and energy from waste. Many active compounds with biomedical and nutraceutical applications can be extracted by Fish Waste (FW), but few are the operating industrial plants. Quantification and mapping of the potential FW availability along the entire fish value-chain is crucial in fostering its actual valorisation. Apart at industrial processing, in the distribution segment the estimation of FW availability is absent. This paper aimed to quantify and locate FW generated by point sources such as supermarkets, fishmongers and restaurants as well as to establish the diffuse domestic FW production in a 4,5M inhabitants region. The study provides an exportable method and indications for comparable worldwide areas. A simplified valorisation scenario for equivalent biomethane production is also presented. Direct interviews and indirect approach based on fish consumption have been adopted and compared. Large supermarkets and medium-large restaurants are the main FW producers (239 and 125 kg/week, respectively) followed medium-large fishmongers and medium supermarkets (63 and 86 kg/week, respectively). In the investigated region the larger FW point sources are supermarkets (average 3000 Mg/y), while fishmongers are the smaller (average 750 Mg/y). Restaurants (average 1400 Mg/y) show the wider range of variability between 460 and 8000 Mg/y. The indirect methodology reveals that domestic FW production ranges from 2376 to 3961 Mg/y. Per capita estimations of FW ranged from 0.5 - 3 kg/y. The economic value of FW (biomethanation route) is 68 EUR/Mg. A qualification as "highly potential waste" would promote FW valorization., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted household food purchasing and preparation, including elements identified as important drivers of household food waste. The two main aims of this study were (1) to examine changes in food waste behaviors since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and Italy; and (2) to investigate potential predictors of food waste behavior, including avoidance of supermarkets, increased home cooking, and increased role of health concerns in food choices. A sample of n = 478 (79% female) individuals from the U.S., mean (SD) age = 30.51 (10.85), and n = 476 individuals from Italy, (78% female), mean (SD) age = 33.84 (12.86), completed an online survey between April 8th and April 28th 2020. Just under half of respondents (49%) reported decreased food waste since the start of the pandemic. Rates were significantly higher among the U.S. sample (61.5%, n = 294) compared to the Italian sample (38%, n = 180). Controlling for the time since restrictions were introduced, age, gender, and perceived financial security, logistic regression revealed greater reduction in food waste since the beginning of the pandemic for U.S. individuals relative to participants from Italy (OR = 0.47, p < .001). In addition, increased importance of health concerns when making food choices (OR = 1.34, p < .005) as well as more frequent cooking (OR = 1.35, p < .001), and greater avoidance of supermarkets (OR = 1.15, p = .049) were associated with greater probability of less food waste. Scarcity and greater reliance on cooking may encourage individuals to reflect on food waste practices. Further research should explore how these factors may be targeted to reduce food waste beyond the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two modelling approaches for food waste estimation at country level are presented. • Three EU countries (Italy, Germany, and Denmark) are used to illustrate the models. • Discrepancies between the two methods' results at early stages of the food chain. • EU Waste statistics are limited in providing an estimation of food waste. • Mass Flow Analysis can be used to assess food waste estimates for EU countries. National studies on food waste quantification in EU countries present highly discrepant results due to the different quantification approaches adopted. The European Commission has published a delegated act establishing a common methodology and minimum quality requirements for the uniform measurement of food waste generated in Member States. Nevertheless, as EU countries are at different levels of development and implementation of national strategies for food waste quantification, there is a need to develop a harmonized modelling system that enables the estimation of food waste generated by Member States to assess the amounts reported by each country. The aim of this paper is to fulfil this need by presenting two modelling approaches to estimate food waste in EU countries. One approach is based on Material Flow Analysis (MFA) and combines statistical information on the production and trade of food products with food waste coefficients. The other approach is based on the estimation of food waste based on waste statistics. Three EU countries are used to illustrate the two approaches and compare the results obtained thereby. Food waste estimates from waste statistics are generally lower than those obtained using MFA, in particular at the early stages of the food chain. The MFA model presented in this article is the first of its kind developed to estimate food waste across Member States in a consistent way and through time. Crucially, this could support the definition of a baseline and binding targets to reduce food waste across the EU, as announced in the EU Farm to Fork Strategy. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data about self-perceived food choice (FC) changes and their determinants during COVID-19 lockdowns are limited. This study investigated how the Italian lockdown affected self-perceived food purchases (FP), occurrence of impulse buying (IB), household food waste production (HFWP) and their determinants. A web-based cross-sectional survey was distributed in May 2020, collecting an opportunistic sample of the Italian population. A total of 1865 (70% females) people were enrolled, the median age was 29 (IQR 16.0). Most of the sample increased overall FP (53.4%), food consumption (43.4%), reduced HFWP (53.7%) and halved the prevalence of IB (20.9%) compared to the period before the lockdown (42.5%). Baking ingredients, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and chocolate had the largest sales increase by individuals, while bakery products, fresh fish and salted snacks purchases highly decreased. Increased FP was associated with the occurrence of IB (adjOR 2.48, p < 0.001) and inversely associated with not having worked during lockdown (adjOR 0.71, p = 0.003). Multivariable logistic regressions revealed occurrence of IB was associated with low perceived dietary quality (adjOR 2.22, p < 0.001), resulting at risk, according to the Emotional Overeating Questionnaire (EOQ, adjOR 1.68, p < 0.001), and inversely associated with decreased HFWP (adjOR 0.73, p < 0.012). Reduced HFWP was associated with higher perceived dietary quality (adjOR 2.27, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with low score at WHO-5 Well-Being Index (adjOR 0.72, p = 0.002). The Italian lockdown highly affected FC behaviours, leading to positive and sustainable habits towards food purchase and consumption. Public health interventions are needed to keep these new positive effects and avoid negative consequences in case of future lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To limit the spread of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, a nationwide lockdown started in Italy in March 2020. In this unpredictable situation, a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire was carried out by the Observatory on Food Surplus, Recovery and Waste of CREA Food and Nutrition Centre. The aim of this work was to evaluate how Italian habits changed during this period, the determinants of changes, and the effect on food waste prevention. In a sample of 2678 respondents, 62% showed low Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (AMD). During lockdown many of participants improved the quality of their diet, increasing their consumption of fruit (24.4%), vegetables (28.5%), legumes (22.1%), nuts (12%), and fish or shellfish (14%). Unfavorable changes were observed with the excessive consumption of sweets or pastries (36.9%) and comfort foods (22.7%), and a lack of physical activity (37.2%). The main novelty of this study was the examination of dietary changes identified by a cluster analysis. Respondents with generally high AMD improved their eating habits, while the habits of the respondents with generally low AMD remained unchanged. In addition, nearly 80% of respondents were sensitive to food waste. The study provides a useful contribution to the debate on nutritional recommendations in case of further lockdown.

Composting is a complex process in which various micro-organisms, mainly fungi and bacteria, are involved. The process depends on a large number of factors (biological, chemical, and physical) among which microbial populations play a fundamental role. The high temperatures that occur during the composting process indicate the presence of thermotolerant and thermophilic micro-organisms that are key for the optimization of the process. However, the same micro-organisms can be harmful (allergenic, pathogenic) for workers that handle large quantities of material in the plant, and for end users, for example, in the indoor environment (e.g., pots in houses and offices). Accurate knowledge of thermotolerant and thermophilic organisms present during the composting stages is required to find key organisms to improve the process and estimate potential health risks. The objective of the present work was to study thermotolerant and thermophilic mycobiota at different time points of compost maturation. Fungi were isolated at four temperatures (25, 37, 45, and 50 °C) from compost samples collected at five different steps during a 21-day compost-maturation period in an active composting plant in Liguria (northwestern Italy). The samples were subsequently plated on three different media. Our results showed a high presence of fungi with an order of magnitude ranging from 1 × 104 to 3 × 105 colony-forming units (CFU) g−1. The isolated strains, identified by means of specific molecular tools (ITS, beta-tubulin, calmodulin, elongation factor 1-alpha, and LSU sequencing), belonged to 45 different species. Several thermophilic species belonging to genera Thermoascus and Thermomyces were detected, which could be key during composting. Moreover, the presence of several potentially harmful fungal species, such as Aspergillus fumigatus, A. terreus, and Scedosporium apiospermum, were found during the whole process, including the final product. Results highlighted the importance of surveying the mycobiota involved in the composting process in order to: (i) find solutions to improve efficiency and (ii) reduce health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Food waste issue requires an analysis which consider several factors simultaneously. • The study improves the overall knowledge about action preventing food waste. • Food management in home is important in reducing food waste intensity. • The reuse of leftovers is a relevant determinant of food waste minimization. Food waste is a critical issue with multiple ethical, environmental and economic consequences. The aim of this study is to investigate which factors most affect food waste and determine what actions are undertaken to prevent it at the household level. The study, while privileging a behavioural perspective, focuses on the overall consumption process, from purchasing through final food consumption, thus assuming a broad perspective. The data for this study were collected among Italian, Spanish and English populations using three public online questionnaires administered from January to September 2017. This resulted in a total of 3323 usable questionnaires referring to a sample population aged between 18 and 35 years. As for the main motivation to waste food, the research findings provide strong evidence of the importance of in-store behaviour and food management at home in reducing the frequency of food waste in all the three countries examined. As for the actions preventing food waste, the consumption of leftovers appears as a relevant determinant in minimising food waste. The findings confirm that food waste is a complex issue that requires a broad approach of analysis considering several factors simultaneously. The study also provides further insights regarding the relationship between eating outside the home and food waste, which is a topic of debate in the extant literature. Finally, the study improves the overall knowledge about actions that prevent food waste, which have previously been poorly investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work analyses the meal supply in primary schools in Italy to highlight new areas of inefficiency upstream of the food chain, regarding the size of the food portions specified in public tenders. A lack of conformity of food portions can potentially lead to a double negative externality affecting the sustainability of school meals: overweight children and food waste., Method: Based on the data contained in the contract between municipalities and school catering services, the analysis was performed on the portion sizes (in grams) of the main food products included in the school menu for each regional capital (RC) in Italy. Data analysis regarded two main aspects: consistency of food portions within regions and adherence to national standards for childrens., Results: The results revealed great discrepancies amongst regions and in several cases, portion sizes significantly larger than the reference values of standard portions for school catering. The study also profiles RC on the basis of portion sizes, school meal attendance, and childhood obesity rates., Conclusions: School meals have the potential to educate the next generation regarding healthy eating habits, and thus play a leading role in obesity prevention in children. Similarly, the educational role of eating at school can contribute to raising children's awareness about one of the most urgent environmental challenges-food waste-by introducing the best strategies for waste reduction, reuse, and recycling. Results have economic, social, health, and environmental implications and highlight the need to revisit policies to introduce new solutions for more sustainable and healthy school canteens in Italy., Level of Evidence: Level V, descriptive studies.

• Bureaucratic simplifications may only have a marginal impact on starting donations. • Reputational risks limit donations of food past the best-before-date. • Different types of donors present highly diversified reactions to the policy. • Policy should not only incentivise donors, but also support food rescue organisations. • Theory-based evaluations show how the policy works in practice and help designing future reforms. Italy recently reformed its food waste policy by introducing innovative measures, such as the possibility of donating food after the best-before date (BBD) and a significant simplification of the bureaucracy of donations. These measures are advocated by food waste specialists and are thought to increase donations almost automatically. The article performs a theory-based evaluation using the method of realist synthesis to investigate the two measures, test their implicit assumptions, and provide a more complete picture of how the policy works. The results highlight the marginal importance of bureaucratic procedures in the cost structure of donations, the diverse responses of different donors and food rescue organisations, and the importance of considering the capacity and preferences of charities when an increase in donations is expected. Further, the analysis uncovers severe reputational risks that limit both the supply of and demand for food past the BBD, despite legal provisions promoting its donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, agricultural and industrial residues have attracted a lot of interest in the recovery of phytochemicals used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In this paper, a study on the recovery of phenol compounds from Lycium spp. leaves is presented. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) have been used with alcoholic and hydroalcoholic solvents. Methanolic UAE was the most successful technique for extracting phenols from Lycium leaves, and we used on leaves from L. barbarum and L. chinense cultivated in Italy. The extracts were then characterized as regards to the antioxidant properties by in vitro assays and the phenol profiling by a high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Chlorogenic acid and rutin were the main phenol compounds, but considerable differences have been observed between the samples of the two Lycium species. For example, cryptochlorogenic acid was found only in L. barbarum samples, while quercetin-3-O-rutinoside-7-O-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-sophoroside-7-O-rhamnoside only in L. chinense leaves. Finally, multivariate statistical analysis techniques applied to the phenol content allowed us to differentiate samples from different Lycium spp. The results of this study confirm that the extraction is a crucial step in the analytical procedure and show that Lycium leaves represent an interesting source of antioxidant compounds, with potential use in the nutraceutical field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, food waste has received great attention and is now considered the cause of many negative effects, including health, economic, social and environmental issues. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample of 762 inpatients at three hospitals of Campania region in Italy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the amount of food waste occurring in these hospitals using a structured questionnaire and asking inpatients about the average percentage of food they had disposed of in the previous three days. The overall food wasted amounted to 41.6%. The main plates, first (pasta or rice), second plate (meat or fish), resulted in similar amounts of waste (38.5% and 39.7%, respectively). The side plate (vegetable or potatoes), however, generated the greatest amount of waste (55.0%); 40.7% of patients totally discarded this part of their meals. The type of food wastage among the three hospitals reflected similar patient behaviours, with the amount of food wasted never falling below 30%. Females tended to waste more food than males (59.1% vs. 38.2%; p = 0.000). Other variables were correlated with less food waste, such as having a good opinion of the food's quality (RR = 1.91; 95% C.I. = 1.68-2.17) and satisfaction with the foodservice in general (RR = 1.86; 95% C.I. = 1.64-2.10). Poor quality, different eating habits and the feeling of satiety were the main reasons patients gave for food waste. Our study suggests that the most promising way to reduce food waste in hospitals is to improve the quality of meals and to establish an individual, simplified and flexible meal reservation process based on specific needs and preferences., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.