Green-Lean Synergy - Root-Cause Analysis in Food Waste Prevention

Purpose_The goal of this paper is to explore the possible synergetic effects between lean philosophy and green endeavors in improving resource efficiency in the food sector. To that end, it is investigated how a proper and tailor-made adaptation of the lean six sigma root cause analysis method could help in overcoming the complexities of increased resource efficiency in food production.Design/methodology/approach_The case study concerned reduction of waste at an industrial production line of a dough-based product, through the implementation of the lean six sigma tool.Findings_An achievement of a 50% reduction of waste on the studied process line was reached, thus exceeding the initial improvement goal.Research limitations/implications (if applicable)_While the explicit findings on the specific root causes of waste on this actual production line are not immediately transferrable to other cases, they show that applying this method to identifying and eliminating root causes of waste for other products and processes in the food sector could not only reduce costs but also contribute to more resource-efficient and sustainable industrial food production.Practical implications (if applicable)_ Political and public high interest in environmental and social sustainability associated with food waste render this an important development.Originality/value_ While the potential of linking green and lean efforts has been acknowledged, the application of the lean six sigma methodology for more sustainable food production has not yet been explored. This paper contributes to this researc

Spanskan och dagens Corona-virus : några reflektioner

Inledning: För ett par år sedan skrev vi en då högaktuell artikel om corona-pandemin, där vi jämförde med spanska sjukan hundra år tidigare (Gammalt & Nytt 3/2020). Nu verkar pandemin ha lugnat ner sig och även ha blivit något mindre dödlig, förhoppningsvis dags att summera? I skrivande stund uppges att drygt 17 000 personer dött i pandemin, nio av tio var 70+ och med en viss övervikt för män. Några av dem har vi mött i media och i dödsannonserna. För ett annat perspektiv, omfattningen, går man som alltid bäst till källan, dvs. Statistiska Centralbyrån (SCB). Med dagens tio miljoner invånare var dödstalet för viruset i genomsnitt cirka 60 per hundra tusen i befolkningen det första året (cirka 6 000 döda år 2020) och cirka 171 fram till i dag. Av SCB:s Dödsorsaker 1918 (på nätet) framgår att dödstalet i spanskan det året var 471, att jämföra med t.ex. kikhosta 11, difteri 31 och dåtidens gissel TBC 176. I Dödsorsaker 1919 konstaterade SCB att spanskan tog drygt 34 000 liv, vilket gav ett dödstal på 591

Människors upplevelser av att leva med kronisk obstruktiv lungsjukdom

Validerat; 20101217 (root

Spanskan och dagens Corona-virus : några reflektioner

Inledning: För ett par år sedan skrev vi en då högaktuell artikel om corona-pandemin, där vi jämförde med spanska sjukan hundra år tidigare (Gammalt & Nytt 3/2020). Nu verkar pandemin ha lugnat ner sig och även ha blivit något mindre dödlig, förhoppningsvis dags att summera? I skrivande stund uppges att drygt 17 000 personer dött i pandemin, nio av tio var 70+ och med en viss övervikt för män. Några av dem har vi mött i media och i dödsannonserna. För ett annat perspektiv, omfattningen, går man som alltid bäst till källan, dvs. Statistiska Centralbyrån (SCB). Med dagens tio miljoner invånare var dödstalet för viruset i genomsnitt cirka 60 per hundra tusen i befolkningen det första året (cirka 6 000 döda år 2020) och cirka 171 fram till i dag. Av SCB:s Dödsorsaker 1918 (på nätet) framgår att dödstalet i spanskan det året var 471, att jämföra med t.ex. kikhosta 11, difteri 31 och dåtidens gissel TBC 176. I Dödsorsaker 1919 konstaterade SCB att spanskan tog drygt 34 000 liv, vilket gav ett dödstal på 591

Multi-Element Assessment of Potentially Toxic and Essential Elements in New and Traditional Food Varieties in Sweden

With the global movement toward the consumption of a more sustainable diet that includes a higher proportion of plant-based foods, it is important to determine how such a change could alter the intake of cadmium and other elements, both essential and toxic. In this study, we report on the levels of a wide range of elements in foodstuffs that are both traditional and “new” to the Swedish market. The data were obtained using analytical methods providing very low detection limits and include market basket data for different food groups to provide the general levels in foods consumed in Sweden and to facilitate comparisons among traditional and “new” food items. This dataset could be used to estimate changes in nutritional intake as well as exposure associated with a change in diet. The concentrations of known toxic and essential elements are provided for all the food matrices studied. Moreover, the concentrations of less routinely analyzed elements are available in some matrices. Depending on the food variety, the dataset includes the concentrations of inorganic arsenic and up to 74 elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Si, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, W, V, Y, Zn, Zr, rare Earth elements (REEs) (Ce, Dy, Er, Eu, Gd, Ho, La, Lu, Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Tm, and Yb), platinum group elements (PGEs) (Ir, Os, Pd, Pr, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, and Pr), and halogens (Br, Cl, and I)). The main focus (and thus the most detailed information on variation within a given food group) is on foods that are currently the largest contributors to dietary cadmium exposure in Sweden, such as pasta, rice, potato products, and different sorts of bread. Additionally, elemental concentrations in selected food varieties regarded as relatively new or “novel” to the Swedish market are provided, including teff flour, chia seeds, algae products, and gluten-free products

Green-Lean Synergy - Root-Cause Analysis in Food Waste Prevention

Purpose_The goal of this paper is to explore the possible synergetic effects between lean philosophy and green endeavors in improving resource efficiency in the food sector. To that end, it is investigated how a proper and tailor-made adaptation of the lean six sigma root cause analysis method could help in overcoming the complexities of increased resource efficiency in food production. Design/methodology/approach_The case study concerned reduction of waste at an industrial production line of a dough-based product, through the implementation of the lean six sigma tool. Findings_An achievement of a 50% reduction of waste on the studied process line was reached, thus exceeding the initial improvement goal. Research limitations/implications (if applicable)_While the explicit findings on the specific root causes of waste on this actual production line are not immediately transferrable to other cases, they show that applying this method to identifying and eliminating root causes of waste for other products and processes in the food sector could not only reduce costs but also contribute to more resource-efficient and sustainable industrial food production. Practical implications (if applicable)_ Political and public high interest in environmental and social sustainability associated with food waste render this an important development. Originality/value_ While the potential of linking green and lean efforts has been acknowledged, the application of the lean six sigma methodology for more sustainable food production has not yet been explored. This paper contributes to this research