THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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“According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year in the world, which represents one third of the total food produced for human consumption,” said Dr. Gamze Nur Müjdeci, Lecturer at the Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hitit University, Çorum.
PROJECT OF TRANSFORMING FOOD WASTE INTO HIGH VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS
At the Science and Technology Festival organised by Hitit University, Faculty Member Dr Gamze Nur Müjdeci made a presentation on “Converting Food Waste into High Value Added Products”. Drawing attention to food waste in the presentation, Dr. Müjdeci said that 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year. Müjdeci emphasised that wastage is not only an economic problem, but also a moral problem. Pointing out to the prevention of waste, Müjdeci underlined the circular economy as Hitit University and announced that they started to work on this in the region.
1.3 BILLION TONNES OF FOOD IS WASTED
Stating that 12 percent of the world population is affected by hunger caused by food loss and waste, Müjdeci said, “According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation report, 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year in the world, which represents one third of the total food produced for human consumption.”
Indicating that the wastes generated after harvesting and during production in factories can be transformed into products with high added value without any waste, Müjdeci explained, “Although these wastes can be used as animal feed or compost products, it is also possible to use them as pharmaceutical active ingredients, food supplement active ingredients or cosmetic product active ingredients. Green extraction and fermentation technology are among our new investment plans. As a country, as a region, we have started our studies on the production of import substitute products using wastes.”
PROTECTION OF THE CIRCULAR ENVIRONMENT ALSO PROVIDES ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Emphasising that the resulting waste food and energy can be transformed into high value-added products with the circular economy approach, Dr. Müjdeci added, “Circular economy models represent a transformative approach for businesses, with an emphasis on closing material and energy cycles, while respecting nature and ensuring the long-term sustainability of products. By focusing on extending product life and increasing the value of waste, the circular economy not only promotes environmental protection, but also offers economic benefits.”
Dr. Müjdeci also gave information about “Potential applications, Green Extraction, Fermentation Technology, Products produced by using food waste through fermentation” in his presentation…
