Integrating Life Cycle Assessment in Innovative Berry Processing with Edible Coating and Osmotic Dehydration

This study presents a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a berry production system
using osmotic dehydration and edible coating to extend the shelf life and improve
the nutritional value. The goal is to evaluate environmental impacts, identify hotspots,
and propose improvements. Osmotic dehydration is the main contributor to environmental
impact, particularly due to the energy and resources required by apple juice as
the osmotic agent. It contributes up to 0.64 kg CO2 eq. per kg of blueberries, 1.36 kg
CO2 eq. per kg of raspberries, and 0.66 kg CO2 eq. per kg of strawberries. The edible
coating, however, has minimal environmental impact due to its low energy consumption
and biodegradable materials. Packaging has a lower carbon footprint but contributes
more to fossil fuel depletion and human toxicity. Raspberries show the highest human
health impact (3.5 × 10−6 DALY/kg) and ecosystem impact (9.5 × 10−8 species.yr/kg), followed
by strawberries (1.78 × 10−6 DALY/kg, 4.97 × 10−8 species.yr/kg) and blueberries
(1.7 × 10−6 DALY/kg, 5.1 × 10−8 species.yr/kg), highlighting the greater environmental
and health costs of raspberries. Despite the environmental burden of osmotic dehydration,
it offers economic benefits by extending the shelf life, reducing losses, improving supply
chain efficiency, and enhancing product quality, which leads to higher prices and profit margins.
The study concludes that, while the environmental impacts of osmotic dehydration
should be optimized, its economic and logistical benefits make it a promising preservation
solution. Further research into eco-friendly practices is recommended to reduce ecological
costs while maintaining commercial advantages.