Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 15, 2026
08:14
Scalable Step-by-Step Approach of Sustainable Bioplastic Production from Food Waste
Published on: July 18, 2025
1.7K
Which functional unit to identify sustainable foods?
Gabriel Masset1, Florent Vieux1, Nicole Darmon1
1Mixt Research Unit NORT (Nutrition, Obesity and Risk of Thrombosis),Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique 1260 INRA,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale1062 INSERM,Aix-Marseille Université,F-13385 Marseille,France.
Public Health Nutrition
|March 26, 2015
Summary
The functional unit significantly impacts identifying sustainable foods. Using 100 g revealed compatible environmental, nutritional, and price data, unlike 100 kcal, which showed trade-offs.
Area of Science:
- Life-cycle assessment
- Food sustainability
- Environmental impact analysis
Background:
- Functional units are crucial for calculating environmental indicators in life-cycle assessments.
- Defining sustainable foods requires considering environmental impact, nutritional quality, and price.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess how two functional units (100 g and 100 kcal) influence the association between environmental impact (greenhouse gas emissions), nutritional quality, and price.
- To determine the impact of functional unit choice on identifying sustainable food options.
Main Methods:
- Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and price data were collected and expressed per 100 g and per 100 kcal.
- Nutritional quality was assessed using the SAIN,LIM and UK Ofcom nutrient profiling systems.
- Spearman correlations analyzed associations, with sustainable foods defined as those favorable across all three dimensions.
Main Results:
- Expressing data per 100 g showed compatibility: lower GHGE foods were cheaper and more nutritious.
- Expressing data per 100 kcal indicated trade-offs: lower GHGE foods were cheaper but less nutritious.
- The number of identified sustainable foods varied significantly between the two functional units (101/100 vs. 34).
Conclusions:
- The selection of a functional unit critically affects the assessment of food sustainability.
- Different functional units lead to divergent conclusions regarding the compatibility of environmental, nutritional, and economic dimensions of food.
Related Concept Videos
01:43Sustainable Development
15.5K
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
15.5K
01:27Microorganisms in Agriculture and Food industry
2.1K
Microorganisms play a crucial role in agriculture and the food industry, contributing to soil fertility, crop protection, and food production. Their functions range from nitrogen fixation and biopesticide production to fermentation and food preservation, making them indispensable to sustainable farming and food safety.Role in AgricultureNitrogen-fixing bacteria, such as Rhizobium (symbiotic) and Azotobacter (free-living), convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia through biological nitrogen...
2.1K
01:29Microbes in Food Production
318
Microbial fermentation is central to food biotechnology, enhancing flavor, texture, preservation, and stability. Fermentative microorganisms metabolize carbohydrates into organic acids, alcohols, and other metabolites that inhibit spoilage organisms and improve digestibility while contributing distinctive sensory qualities.In baking, amylases naturally present in flour hydrolyze starch into monosaccharides such as glucose, which Saccharomyces cerevisiae ferments anaerobically. Through...
318
01:09Levels of Organization
145.1K
Biological organization is the classification of biological structures, ranging from atoms at the bottom of the hierarchy to the Earth's biosphere. Each level of the hierarchy represents an increase in complexity that builds upon the previous level.
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...
Molecules Are Composed of Atoms, and Biomolecules Are Assembled from Molecules:
The most basic levels include atoms, molecules, and biomolecules. Atoms, the smallest unit of ordinary matter, are composed of a nucleus and electrons. Molecules...
145.1K
00:48Optimal Foraging
14.3K
How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
14.3K
01:35Trophic Levels
38.6K
All organisms in an ecosystem occupy a trophic level in the food chain. The lowest level consists of primary producers, which synthesize their food from either solar or chemical energy. Each subsequent level obtains energy from the levels below. Detritivores can occupy any of the levels above primary producers.
38.6K