Quantification and economic assessment of surplus bread in Italian small-scale bakeries: An explorative study

Abstract

The generation of bread waste at suppliers and retailers is often linked to the production of surplus bread. This study reports the results of the first direct quanti-fication and economic assessment of surplus bread conducted in Italy, involving a panel of 12 bakeries and their branches located in the Lazio region, which compiled a daily diary for 5 months. They are small-scale bakeries which reflect the typical structure of the Italian businesses in the bakery sector, producing fresh bread and selling it directly to consumers. The surplus bread measured during the study consists of 6,694 kg in total, with an average quantity of 4.83 kg/day per bakery. Studying the three main products (common bread, focaccia bread and bread rolls), the average rate of surplus is respectively 5.88 %, 3.99 % and 5.28 % of the production. The corresponding economic loss represents, on average, 5.44 % of the daily turnover. A set of factors seems to exert highest influence on the generation of surplus, as the range of production, location and number of customers. When surplus bread occurs, in 63 % of the cases it is managed on alternative routes to avoid disposal. Even if detected surplus bread does not necessarily become waste, it indeed represents a big loss for bakeries.

Published in

Waste Management
2023, volume: 169, pages: 301-309

SLU Authors

• Eriksson, Mattias

  • Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Global goals (SDG)

SDG12 Responsible consumption and production

UKÄ Subject classification

Economics

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.07.017

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/122827