UCLan Bread Waste Project

Are you involved in the bread and bakery supply chain or food service / consumption? Would you be interested in contributing to a research study at the University of Central Lancashire with the purpose of addressing bread waste and your own food sustainability?

A research team at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, is running a project addressing waste in the bread and bakery supply chain (standard industry code 2051). Bread is the UK’s third most wasted food with 25 million slices discarded daily (WRAP, 2023). Our project aims to investigate the bread supply chain end-to-end to empower stakeholders – from growers to consumers – to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and enhance product quality, sustainability, and food security across the chain.

The research team is also keen to identify good practice when it comes to addressing waste in the supply chain. With this in mind, they are seeking representatives from various points in the supply chain – cultivation of grains, milling, baking, storage/logistics/transportation, wholesaling, retailing and consumption – to take part in personal interviews. The findings from this initial research will be presented at a Bread Waste Summit held at the University of Central Lancashire. Ultimately, the project seeks to understand how generative AI can be harnessed to tackle waste across the bread supply chain. Strategically, the intention is to expand the project across Europe with our university partners in France, Finland and Sweden.

If you are interested in contributing towards this research study, please contact Dr Maria Sherrington, Principal Investigator:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 01772-894760

School of Business, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE