03 - Environmental Models in Food Industry (Ilija Djekic)

This webinar gives an overview of environmental models in food industry. These models are useful for studying the effect of different food systems and process parameters on the environmental outcome. Depending on the dimension, there are three basic approaches: (i) analysis of food product(s), (ii) analysis of the food manufacturing processes and (iii) analysis of environmental practices in which the food companies operate.

Product (food) based approach is performed through life-cycle assessments. Main environmental footprints are global warming, acidification and eutrophication potentials. Process based approaches investigate on-site environmental impacts of food production. They are mainly developed through top-down approach (focus on the food production process and analysis of environmental impacts) or bottom-up approach focusing on specific environmental impacts. Finally, environmental systems in the food chain analyze level of environmental (management) practices. This approach enables exploration of various environmental improvement techniques