Confronto degli impatti ambientali di diversi alimenti freschi: valutazione LCA della composizione

The food that peoples eat impacts their health and the health of the environment. Imbalanced diets low in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains and high in red and processed meat are responsible for the greatest health burden worldwide and in most regions. It has been well documented that food consumption significantly contributes to an individual’s environmental impact, however the relationship between a food’s impact and its function is less established. To date, impact reductions have focused on food production processes, however eating patterns, the drivers behind production demand, need to also be understood. This paper aims to shed light on how to contribute to ongoing discussions about the need for dietary change by correlating the nutritional value of various foods with their potential contributions to climate change impact category. To achieve this aim, we examined the relation between nutrient content of 82 foods products and climate change expressed as kg CO2 equivalents. This allowed us to determine the efficiency of nutrient content sustainability for different food groups, namely fruits group, vegetables group, legumes and cereals group, meat and fish group, and nuts and seeds group. As revealed by PCA analysis for fruit group, pumpkin, avocados, mango fruits, strawberries, kiwis, and pear are all sustainable sources of essential nutrients, including vitamin E, fat, vitamin E, calcium, vitamin C, and fiber respectively. The sustainable sources for vegetable group of vital nutrients like beta-carotene, iron, vitamin C, folate, vitamin D, niacin and include sweet potatoes, beetroot, parsley, carrots, sweet pepper, and garden peas respectively. Grain and legumes products indicated that, french bean, oat, millet, maize grain and sorghum have a balanced sustainable nutrient profile, with high levels of beta-carotene, protein, riboflavin, calcium, and carbohydrates, respectively. A variety of sustainable products is found in meat, poultry, and fish products. Mackerel, tuna, goat milk, cow milk, and sheep milk are high in essential nutrients, such as protein, beta-carotene, calcium, and selenium, respectively. According to PCA's analysis of nuts and seeds, Alfalfa seeds, flaxseeds, almonds, macadamia, sunflower seeds, and walnuts are appropriate for diets high in protein, thiamin, vitamin D, fat, vitamins B, and beta-carotene, respectively. Based on the ranking factor, foods that are high in macronutrients include maize grains, apples, sweet potatoes, almonds, and mackerel, respectively. The vitamins ranking factor yielded the following results: strawberries, sweet pepper, rice, chestnuts, and mackerel, respectively. Finally, foods with high sustainable mineral values were beetroot, strawberries, sorghum, goat milk, and flaxseed, respectively. Food’s environmental impact should be considered alongside nutrient value and health concerns. Further research is needed to determine when the higher nutritional value of nutrient-dense foods outweighs their higher carbon footprint.