Abstract Summary
Food loss and waste (FLW) in metropolitan areas, generally downcycled, is still a bottleneck to achieving a circular food system. Implementation of Circularity of food is hampered because of the lack of structured frameworks using criteria to orchestrate the upcycling of food to higher-valued applications, such as food-to-food, and the divergence of goals and approaches. Based on a literature review, we collected the different building blocks for evaluation and implementation of new circular opportunities for FLW valorization, intending to bring clarity to the transition to a more circular food chain. Depending on the FLW characteristics and monitoring outcomes, these opportunities range from the current downcycled pathways to upcycled applications, from which there is more potential for achieving higher sustainability goals. Based on the results of our review, we will present the existing criteria, frameworks, support tools, and proposed solutions, together with missing criteria applicable to food-to-food pathways, for overcoming the barriers for integration and implementation within a metropolitan area.
