LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT - NEW DIRECTION IN ADDRESSING SYSTEMIC PROCESSES IN FOOD INDUSTRY

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present family standards SR EN ISO 14040 Life cycle assessment as a new approach to food industry processes from design and production to display on shelves and removal / disposal of waste (including packaging). These standards introduce the concept of “system – product” and “cradle-to-grave” to the study of environmental aspects and potential impacts of the product life cycle. The first part of the article contains an overview of LCA standards requirements. I presented the five standards that deal with this problem including their principles and some explanatory diagrams. The five standards are SR EN ISO 14040 - Principles and framework, SR EN ISO 14041 - Define the purpose, scope and inventory analysis, SR EN ISO 14042 - Life cycle impact assessment, SR EN ISO 14043 - Life Cycle Interpretation, SR ISO-TS 14048 - Format of the data documentation. Their name contains the phrase “Environmental management, Life cycle assessment”, focusing on environmental standards. The second part presents some practical ways to apply the LCA standards in food industry. The implications of implementing these standards may bring about the risk for small firms in the food industry to be blocked by brokers and lose their identity.