Pınar Tunçkol: The way to reduce food loss is to prevent it at the source

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Press release…

October, 2026…

According to FAO data, 13.3 percent of the food produced globally is lost before it even reaches the retail stage. Novonesis Türkiye highlights the potential of biosolutions to extend shelf life, reduce production losses, and derive greater value from raw materials.

ISTANBUL…

Food loss and waste is not a problem that occurs solely at the consumer stage. Losses experienced at various stages of the value chain—from raw material processing and production to logistics and shelf-life management—can cause food to drop out of the system before it ever reaches the consumer. Highlighting this issue on the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, Novonesis Türkiye draws attention to the capabilities of biosolutions in extending shelf life, reducing production losses and extracting more value from raw materials.

Less loss means more food from the same resources…

According to current global estimates by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 13.3 percent of the food produced in 2023 was lost during post-harvest processes and before reaching the retail stage. Meanwhile, the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Food Waste Index Report 2024 reveals that 1.05 billion tonnes of food were wasted in retail, food services, and households in 2022—an amount equivalent to approximately 19 percent of the food available to consumers. From bread to yogurt, from fruit to the production line…

Pınar Tunçkol, Country Manager of Novonesis Türkiye, stated that the focus in the fight against food loss needs to shift from merely managing generated waste to preventing loss before it occurs.

Pointing out that FAO data shows that 13.3 percent of the food produced globally is lost before it even reaches the retail stage, she said, “This is a significant figure, clearly indicating that the solution cannot be sought solely at the consumer level. It is essential to enhance quality, durability and efficiency while the product is still on the production line or on the shelf.”

“This is precisely where biosolutions help extend shelf life, achieve more consistent production results and generate more usable product from the same amount of raw material,” she added…