Anais do Simpósio Latino Americano de Ciências de Alimentos
Anais do 14 SLACA - Simpósio Latino Americano de Ciência de Alimentos

According to the United Nations (UN) report, it is estimated that in 2050 the world population will increase by 26%, and thus, social and economic problems may occur, requiring measures to ensure food security. The final stages of the food supply chain (retail and consumption) contribute a lot to food waste, however, data related to waste are incipient. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate and characterize the losses and waste of vegetables from supermarkets in the city of Pirassununga-SP. The evaluation was carried out through an online questionnaire sent to employees of supermarkets in the city (questionnaire approved by CEP/Conep, CAAE 40530920.7.0000.5422). Among the supermarkets in the city of Pirassununga-SP (total of 36), only 7 accepted the survey (19.45%), which showed reduced adherence of supermarkets to this type of survey. Of the participants, 71.43% declared themselves as small (physical area up to 599 m2) and 28.45% as medium-sized (up to 4,999 m2). Of the 35 vegetables listed on the form, ten are sold in all participating supermarkets. Among the vegetables listed 88% of them have a certain wasted amount, the largest being: tomatoes (in 71.4% of supermarkets), lettuce and potatoes (both in 57.1% of supermarkets), broccoli, peppers and green beans (all in 42.9% of supermarkets). This disposal occurs due to the presence of fungi and physical injuries, according to 85.7% of the collaborators, but it is also reported that disposal occurs due to unpleasant odor, variation in color and texture (soft). Additionally, according to the form, 42.85% reported that the discarded vegetables are destined for animal feed and 14.29% send them as donations to non-profit institutions. In this way, although the participation of supermarkets is reduced, it is possible to identify which vegetables are more wasted and, based on these data, propose solutions to reduce this waste.