Food waste in the aquaculture industry is comparatively low, but consumers still report throwing away nearly 9 percent of the fresh fish they buy, according to the Food Waste in Norway Report. Among the measures the industry is taking, consumers believe that increasing the shelf life of food would make the most impact reducing food waste in their homes.
A new product concept from the Norwegian seafood industry company Gunnar Klo AS is based on more sustainable packaging systems, improvements in quality and increased shelf life. Nofima and Gunnar Klo AS have been working together to develop workable solutions, and are measuring their potential climate effects in partnership with Norsus.
“Ensuring the quality and shelf life of products is important to prevent food waste later in the value chain. This is central to the project, where we also look at improved packaging systems for increased sustainability without compromising the shelf life of fish products”, says Nofima scientist Anlaug Ådland Hansen.
Winning the 2021 Food Award
Gunnar Klo AS received the 2021 Food Award, which pays tribute to farmers, producers, chefs and communicators who take environmental sustainability into consideration when working with food. Active collaboration with research communities is highlighted as being grounds for the nomination.
“We are very much focused on local value creation. For us, sustainability is a prerequisite for future operations. We must constantly push ourselves to reach new sustainability goals, and this project will take us a step further. Sustainable packaging, shelf life, quality and reduced food waste are key words in this context”, says Arne Karlsen, Managing Director of Gunnar Klo AS.
Industry agreement to reduce of food waste
“Research aimed at preventing food waste plays a key role in Nofima. Better utilisation of all raw materials, increased shelf life and optimal packaging systems are important research areas for us, and we are an active research partner in relation to the Industry Agreement on Reduction of Food Waste”, says Anlaug Ådland Hansen.
Read more about the industry's efforts to tackle food waste here.
