Podravka on the fight against food waste: “Every measure must have an effect”

On the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on 29 September, we spoke with representatives of Podravka, one of the leading food companies in the region. The aim of this interview is to highlight to the public the importance of preventing food waste, to shed light on what the industry is already doing, and to show how every individual can contribute in everyday life.

Why is it important to talk about food waste?

Food loss and food waste are not only an environmental problem, but also an ethical, economic and social one. As a food producer, we feel a responsibility to contribute through our actions to reducing waste, while also encouraging the wider community to change its behaviour.

How much importance do you attach to food waste?

Environmental protection is one of the four pillars of the Podravka Group’s Sustainable Business Strategy. Through the continuous development of our business and the improvement of processes, products and services, we reduce our negative impact on the environment.

With a strategic approach to sustainability and a focus on environmental protection, the Podravka Group strives to integrate sustainability into all business processes. Among other things, we continuously improve production processes to reduce food waste, and we manage food waste by applying the principles of the circular economy.

What concrete examples can you give?

Through our activities, we aim to find optimal solutions for reducing the amount of waste disposed of in landfills by increasing the proportion of recycling, re-use and composting wherever possible. A few examples stand out:

• In 2022, Podravka completed a research and development project entitled “Development of innovative products from by-products during vegetable processing”, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The main aim of the project was to investigate the technological feasibility of extracting the nutritionally valuable part of pepper by-products, seeds and seed placenta, in order to increase the efficiency of the ajvar processing technology by almost 10%.
• At Mirna d.d., we have designed the process of fish processing and the production of sterilized canned fish in such a way that the raw material is used to the maximum extent possible, in order to achieve waste-free production. During fish processing, a by-product of animal origin is created that is not intended for human consumption (fish head and entrails). After the processing process, it is sold to approved facilities that use it as raw material for the production of animal food.

Is there a broader national framework or guidelines for reducing food waste?

In 2023, Podravka d.d. signed a voluntary agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture on the prevention and reduction of food waste, entitled “Together Against Food Waste”.

This agreement, with the general goal of reducing food waste by 30% by 2028, involves around 30 companies and institutions that voluntarily commit, through their signature, to invest efforts in reducing food waste in their business processes, donating food, and actively communicating with consumers.

The signatories of the agreement undertake to report annually on their progress and on the achievement of specific individual targets in a Progress Report, which contains a detailed overview of the activities carried out and the indicators achieved.

Progress Reports are available on the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and on the “Food is not Waste” online portal.

In view of this agreement, we assume Podravka has also defined concrete goals and results?

Of course. One of Podravka’s strategic goals in the area of waste is to reduce food waste in production by 5% per tonne of manufactured products by the end of 2030. In 2024, food waste per tonne of manufactured product amounted to 0.03 tonnes; this quantity was the result of increased scrap in production due to the introduction of new production lines and test production. The total waste of the Podravka Group per tonne of manufactured product sent to landfill decreased by 19.9% compared to 2022.

Part of the food waste is sold to customers who use it as an input raw material in their business operations, thereby contributing to the circular economy. In 2024, revenue from the sale of by-products (food waste from the production process) amounted to EUR 1.0 million.

Is that really possible?

Certainly. Waste management legislation prescribes a hierarchy that sets out the order of priorities in handling waste, with the aim of reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Before a material is defined as waste, it is reviewed to determine whether it can be used as a useful material. In this way, the generation of waste is prevented and useful materials become a resource in another process in line with the principles of the circular economy.

What other measures are you implementing?

One of the activities under the Voluntary Agreement on the Prevention of Food Waste relates to redirecting food waste into animal feed, including pet food. In 2024, another production facility was registered with the Ministry of Agriculture for the production of animal feed. In this way, by-products from the factory can be used as raw material for the production of animal feed. In the fish products factory, all by-products are sold for the production of fishmeal as a component of pet food, while food waste from locations in Slovenia is sold as raw material for livestock feed.

In addition, at all production and warehouse sites, the internal waste management system is continuously improved through education, optimising resource use, monitoring waste volumes and finding optimal solutions to increase the share of composting, recycling and recovery, in accordance with the guidelines of the circular economy and the waste management hierarchy. Alongside improvements at our own sites, activities are also carried out to enhance waste disposal services with suppliers.

Can you include the community in your efforts, and if so, how?

The Food segment continuously works to raise consumer awareness about the importance of reducing food waste and the proper separation of packaging waste.

During 2024, marketing activities were carried out in line with the qualitative strategic objectives, such as publishing “zero waste” recipes on Coolinarika, the largest regional cooking advice platform (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia). Activities promoting innovations were also carried out according to the criteria of the Nutrition Strategy, such as the O’Plant product range (encouraging the consumption of plant-based products), Vegeta Natur paste seasoning additions (low salt content), Čokolino Dark (low sugar content, oat-based), as well as regular communication of the functional benefits of existing products related to healthy and sustainable diets.

Conclusion

The fight against food waste requires a systematic approach and the cooperation of all stakeholders – from producers to consumers. Podravka shows by example that responsible food management is not only a business necessity, but also a social responsibility, and that every measure, if well designed and implemented, can have a real impact.

On the occasion of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, but also on every other day, let us reconsider our own habits and contribute to a more sustainable society through small but significant everyday decisions.