Food waste to new food in an urban context – production, risk assessment and consumer acceptance

The project addresses a complex area and implies a societal change towards a closer nutrient loop in the urban context, a prerequisite for the transition towards a biobased society but with hurdles at different levels of the societal context such as legislation, mainstreams beliefs, habits and limitations in knowledge. The project is therefore set in a broader interdisciplinary context including risk assessment and consumer acceptance. 

The obtained results for indicators relating to crop yield and quality, fate of pollutants (micropollutants, heavy metals, foodborne pathogens) and consumer acceptance of these production systems will assist in further implementation and development of circular food production systems.

The funding form SLU Urban Futures was used for preparing an application for a Formas call (Nationella forskningsprogrammet för livsmedel) in 2018. The application was granted in November 2018.

The residue from biogas plants with a high content of food waste is focus in the project granted by Formas. During the first year of the project, this residue has been explored as a nutrient source for hydroponic production and work on risk assessment have started. In 2020 the work of Consumer acceptance will be initiated. The risk assessment will continue throughout the project and work on the development of a mushroom substrate will be started. Also more detailed studies on plant production including impact of salinity and risk for high nitrite levels will be initiated.  

The project findings so far, is published in a fact sheet. (In Swedish)