Beyond the eco-design of case-ready beef packaging: The relationship between food waste and shelf-life as a key element in life cycle assessment

This study aims to compare the environmental impact of three food packaging systems (Overwrap: OW, High Oxygen Modified Atmosphere Packaging: MAP and Vacuum Skin: VS) currently used in beef meat market, including the potential waste effect that derives from shorter shelf-life in the inventory and assessment. The Life cycle Assessment method was used, and a “cradle-to-grave” approach was applied for both packaging and meat chains. The functional unit was defined as one unit of packaging containing 500 g of sliced beef. Considering only the packaging life cycle, the OW system has the best environmental performance in most of the environmental impact categories, while considering the potential food waste effects, results showed that the packaging system with the longest shelf-life (VS) represents the best environmental solution. Future eco-design approaches for packaging solutions for food products should consider the ability of reducing potential food waste, as a direct consequence of improved shelf-life.