Additives in the food supply chain: Environmental assessment and circular economy implications

Food additives constitute an integral ingredient of food production and processing operations, as their functional properties are paramount to not only improving the organoleptic qualities but also preventing spoilage thus prolonging food products' shelf life. Despite their cardinal role in the food industry as key facilitators of global food supply and distribution, aspects related to the food additives supply chain remain an underdeveloped research area. Using as a case study a food processing company in Greece that specialises in the production of meat additives, the objective of this paper is twofold. First, to assess the environmental performance of the company's production process, identifying the main hotspots and drivers for environmental impacts by means of the Life Cycle Assessment method. Second, following the identification of employed circular economy practices, to discuss corresponding managerial implications. The latter will attempt to contribute to the enrichment of circular economy in the context of food supply chains relevant literature through exploring strategies of reducing meat additives surpluses, shading light on the underexplored yet paramount industry between the stages of food production and processing. In addition, some social considerations based on the obtained Life Cycle Assessment results will be given, to discuss the consequences of productive behaviours and to understand how they perform in the national context.