Preventing Food Waste Through Sustainable Processing of Near-Expired Products
Preventing Food Waste Through Sustainable
Processing of Near-Expired Products
By Ronen Kolton Yehuda (Messiah King RKY)
A Global Initiative to Transform Food Waste into Lifesaving Resources
Each year, millions of tons of edible food are discarded by supermarkets, food suppliers, and manufacturers simply because they are close to their expiration dates. This includes high-value products like milk, eggs, meat, fish, vegetables, legumes, and grains. Despite still being safe for consumption, these items often end up in landfills due to regulatory, logistical, or consumer perception challenges.
To combat this crisis, a transformative global initiative is emerging — one that unites non-profit organizations, private companies, governments, and international bodies to collect near-expired products from supermarkets and convert them into sustainable, long-lasting forms such as powders, flours, sauces, jams, dried meals, and more. This effort could significantly reduce global food waste while addressing hunger, environmental damage, and economic inefficiencies.
The Vision: From Waste to Wealth
This initiative envisions international processing centers, both mobile and fixed, that specialize in converting near-expired food into shelf-stable and nutritious alternatives. These include:
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Milk & Eggs → Protein powders, egg powder for baking, condensed milk, and fortified mixes.
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Meat & Fish → Dried and canned proteins, meat and fish powders for soups or flavoring, pet food, or processed jerky.
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Vegetables & Legumes → Dehydrated veggie powders, instant soups, snack chips, vegetable flours, fermented pastes.
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Fruits → Jams, sauces, dried fruit snacks, fruit flours, syrups.
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Grains & Bread → New bread recipes, bread crumbles, flour mixes, preserved doughs.
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Miscellaneous → Multi-ingredient ready meals, emergency rations, aid supplies.
These processed items can then be distributed to underserved communities, sold at affordable prices, or stored for emergency response.
The System: A Circular, Collaborative Network
The effort involves a multi-sectoral collaboration between:
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Supermarkets & Retailers: Donate or sell near-expiry goods at marginal cost.
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NGOs & International Organizations: Handle logistics, funding, and equitable distribution.
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Processing Facilities & Tech Startups: Apply smart preservation, drying, fermenting, and packaging methods.
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Governments & Policy Makers: Support with legal frameworks, incentives, and food safety oversight.
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Private Sector: Invest in innovation and help scale operations through sustainable business models.
Benefits Beyond Waste Reduction
This circular approach offers a wide range of global benefits:
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Combat Hunger – Processed foods from surplus can feed millions, especially in food-insecure regions.
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Protect the Environment – Reducing food waste helps limit methane emissions and resource overuse.
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Empower Economies – Creates jobs in processing, logistics, and innovation sectors.
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Support Emergency Readiness – Stores of dried or preserved food can serve as emergency aid during disasters.
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Reduce Supermarket Losses – Retailers gain positive PR and reduce financial waste by participating.
Real-World Inspiration
Similar models already exist on smaller scales:
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In Europe, some food banks and cooperatives use drying and pasteurizing systems to preserve donated food.
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In Japan, near-expired rice is transformed into emergency ration packs.
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In Africa, some projects dry vegetables and fish to fight seasonal shortages.
This initiative calls for scaling up these models, with advanced technology, AI-powered logistics, and a global partnership ecosystem.
Conclusion: A Global Call to Action
Transforming near-expired food into long-lasting products is not just a matter of sustainability — it is a moral, economic, and environmental imperative. With the right partnerships and vision, the food that once ended up as waste can become a cornerstone of global nutrition, stability, and resilience.
This is a call to corporations, governments, and citizens alike: Let us unite to build a system where no edible food is wasted, and every resource is valued.
Introduction
Around 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally every year — roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption. A large portion of this waste comes from supermarkets and food retailers, discarding products nearing their expiration dates due to logistical, regulatory, or aesthetic reasons, even though much of it remains safe and usable.
By launching a coordinated global effort to collect and process these near-expired goods into durable food forms (powders, flours, sauces, dried foods, etc.), we can recover immense quantities of edible material and convert it into essential nutrition — creating a powerful solution to hunger, environmental damage, and inefficiency.
Estimated Global Recovery Potential
Based on data from the FAO, UNEP, and WRAP, and adjusted for realistic recovery rates and technological capabilities, we can estimate:
Annual Recoverable Near-Expired Food (Global)
| Food Category | Waste from Retail (Million Tons) | Recoverable for Processing | Converted Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy (milk, eggs) | ~25 M tons | ~15 M tons | Powders, mixes |
| Meat & Fish | ~20 M tons | ~10 M tons | Jerky, powder, pet food |
| Fruits & Vegetables | ~40 M tons | ~25 M tons | Dried, sauces, jams |
| Grains & Bakery | ~15 M tons | ~10 M tons | Flours, bread, crumbs |
| Legumes & Others | ~10 M tons | ~7 M tons | Dried meals, soups |
| Total | ~110 M tons | ~67 M tons | Preserved food items |
What Can This Become?
With 67 million tons of recovered near-expired food annually, the world could produce:
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20 million tons of dry food rations
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10 million tons of protein/fiber-rich powders
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15 million tons of dried fruits, jams, sauces, soups
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10 million tons of flours and baking bases
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12 million tons of preserved bread, crackers, and meal mixes
This output could feed over 1.5 billion people annually with nutritional supplements, meals, or emergency food — depending on the mix and application.
Economic Value and Impact
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Monetary Value of Products: Estimated at $80–120 billion/year depending on processing depth and packaging.
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Cost Reduction for Food Aid: Governments and NGOs could cut food procurement costs by 30–50% in crisis zones.
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Retailer Savings: Supermarkets reduce waste handling and gain tax incentives or CSR benefits.
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Environmental Gain: Reduces methane from landfills, conserves water and energy used in initial food production.
Scaling the Model
To reach these numbers, the following infrastructure is required:
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Global Collection Network – Integration with supermarket chains, cold logistics, and food banks.
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Regional Processing Hubs – Equipped to dry, ferment, preserve, and pack foods in bulk.
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Legal and Safety Frameworks – To allow and encourage use of near-expiry foods within defined safety windows.
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Public-Private Partnerships – Multinational food companies, startups, governments, and NGOs co-investing in facilities and logistics.
Conclusion
Upcycling near-expired food into durable, nutritious forms is no longer just a sustainability concept — it is a viable, urgent solution to food insecurity, climate change, and economic waste. With over 60 million tons of high-potential food available annually for this process, the world has the opportunity to build a system that is abundant, ethical, and regenerative.
The future of food security may not depend on producing more, but on wasting less and processing smarter.
Certainly. Here is a data-focused article summarizing the estimated amounts and percentages of global food waste that can be saved through sustainable processing of near-expired supermarket goods:
How Much Can We Save? Quantifying the Impact of Processing Near-Expired Food
By Ronen Kolton Yehuda (Messiah King RKY)
π The Scale of the Problem
The world wastes an estimated 1.3 billion tons of food annually — nearly 33% of all food produced for human consumption. A large share of this waste occurs post-harvest and at the retail level, particularly in supermarkets and food suppliers who discard products nearing expiration, even if still safe and edible.
This represents an enormous untapped resource. By collecting and processing these near-expired goods into shelf-stable food, we can recover millions of tons, reduce greenhouse emissions, and help feed over a billion people.
π Global Estimates: Recoverable Food Waste
Here’s a breakdown of retail-level food waste and how much of it could realistically be recovered and processed:
| Category | Retail Waste (Million Tons/year) | Estimated Recovery | Recovery % | Potential Products |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy (milk, eggs) | ~25 M tons | ~15 M tons | 60% | Powders, baking mixes, protein supplements |
| Meat & Fish | ~20 M tons | ~10 M tons | 50% | Jerky, dried meats, canned goods, pet food |
| Fruits & Vegetables | ~40 M tons | ~25 M tons | 62.5% | Dried fruits, sauces, jams, veggie powders |
| Grains & Baked Goods | ~15 M tons | ~10 M tons | 66% | Flour, dry bread, breadcrumbs |
| Legumes & Pulses | ~10 M tons | ~7 M tons | 70% | Soups, dry mixes, protein-rich blends |
| TOTAL | ~110 M tons | ~67 M tons | ~61% | Long-lasting preserved food products |
π² What Can This Become?
By processing 67 million tons of edible food, the global output could include:
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20 million tons of emergency or dry food rations
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10 million tons of protein powders and baking bases
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15 million tons of sauces, jams, and soups
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10 million tons of flour and grain products
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12 million tons of mixed rations and preserved bread
This food can serve:
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1.5–2 billion people per year, depending on portion and product mix
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Entire populations in crisis zones, refugee areas, or low-income regions
π° Economic & Environmental Savings
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Market value: $80–120 billion per year in processed food
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Aid cost reduction: 30–50% lower food costs for governments and NGOs
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Retailer savings: Less waste disposal, better tax incentives, positive public image
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Landfill reduction: Prevents millions of tons of methane-generating food from being dumped
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Water & energy savings: Recovers investment in growing, transporting, and refrigerating food
π A Circular Model That Pays for Itself
Investing in collection systems, processing centers, and distribution networks can pay back within 3–5 years through:
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Reduced waste management costs
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Revenues from affordable resale
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Tax benefits for donors and operators
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Government and international subsidies for food aid
✅ Final Breakdown of Potential Savings
| Metric | Estimated Savings/Year |
|---|---|
| Food Saved | ~67 million tons |
| Percentage of Retail Waste Reclaimed | ~61% |
| People Fed | 1.5–2 billion |
| Food Value Created | $80–120 billion |
| CO₂ Emissions Avoided | Up to 1 billion tons CO₂e* |
| Land Use Saved | ~100 million hectares (indirectly) |
*CO₂e = carbon dioxide equivalent, from methane prevention and reduced production.
π Conclusion
Processing near-expired food is not just a backup plan — it is a global efficiency revolution.
With over 60% of retail food waste recoverable, the world can save billions of dollars, protect ecosystems, and feed the vulnerable — all with existing infrastructure and technology.
This isn’t a dream. It’s a decision — and the time to act is now.
Turning Waste into Worth
Every year, a staggering one-third of all food produced globally—approximately 1.3 billion tons—is lost or wasted. Supermarkets and food retailers are major contributors, discarding vast quantities of products that are still safe to consume simply because they are nearing their expiration dates. Milk, eggs, meat, fish, vegetables, legumes, grains, and bread often end up in landfills, generating harmful emissions and wasting the resources used to produce them.
But what if this waste could be reclaimed, processed, and transformed into valuable food products with long shelf lives? What if it could feed communities, reduce pressure on land and water, and reshape how we think about food systems?
A new global strategy aims to do just that.
The Vision: Collect and Transform
The idea is simple but revolutionary: create a system that collects near-expired food products from supermarkets and food chains—before they’re discarded—and channels them into processing hubs that convert them into safe, sustainable, shelf-stable products.
These include:
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Milk and Eggs → Nutritional powders, baking mixes, meal enhancers
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Meat and Fish → Protein powders, dried jerky, canned goods, animal feed
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Fruits and Vegetables → Dried snacks, sauces, jams, soup bases
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Bread and Grains → Flours, breadcrumbs, dry baked goods
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Legumes and Pulses → Dehydrated meals, instant stews, protein blends
These products can be stored, sold affordably, donated, or used in emergency aid and disaster relief.
A Collaborative Ecosystem
This solution requires a global coalition of partners, including:
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Supermarkets and retailers, who provide near-expired goods
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Processing companies and food innovators, who apply drying, fermenting, freezing, and packaging technologies
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NGOs and humanitarian organizations, who handle distribution to low-income regions
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Governments, who support through regulation and incentives
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Private sector and startups, who invest in scalable systems
Together, this ecosystem can convert food waste into food security.
The Impact: Numbers That Matter
Experts estimate that with proper infrastructure, this system could recover and repurpose over 60 million tons of food per year—enough to:
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Feed more than 1.5 billion people annually
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Reduce methane emissions from landfills
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Save billions of dollars in lost food value
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Cut supermarket disposal costs
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Build global resilience in food systems
These are not futuristic dreams—they are achievable goals with today's technology and global will.
A Sustainable Future
This strategy is not just about food—it’s about ethics, efficiency, and the environment. It reduces pressure on farms, saves energy and water, and gives expired or excess food a new life instead of letting it rot.
In a world facing climate change, economic inequality, and population growth, this model offers a sustainable solution that nourishes people and the planet.
Conclusion
Food waste is one of humanity’s greatest contradictions: abundance thrown away while millions go hungry. But by collecting and processing near-expired supermarket food, we can flip that equation—turning loss into opportunity.
With collaboration, innovation, and global commitment, we can build a food system that is smarter, fairer, and more sustainable.
This is a call to action. Let supermarkets, startups, governments, and citizens unite. Together, we can feed the future.
Legal Statement for IP & Collaboration
The concept may be licensed or co-developed for humanitarian, environmental, and sustainable innovation purposes, under fair collaboration and recognition agreements.
Relevant links:
Soft Olive Oil: A New Kind of Olive Oil from Preserved Table Olives
Reclaiming Alcohol from Expired Products: A Smarter Way to Reduce Waste
Reusing Frozen Soybeans and Tofu: How to Extend Shelf Life with Smart Soy Transformations
Restoring Earth: A Global Plan for Climate Healing
Capturing and Treating River Water Before It’s Wasted to the Sea/ Ocean
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