Controlling water consumption and waste from the food industry

Due to the nature of their production, the agri-food industries are major consumers of high-quality water. At the other end of the chain, their discharges account for 20% of French industrial wastewater. The food industry's total involvement in the water chain means that preserving water resources is one of its top priorities. Environmental protection accounts for 10% of the investments made by the food industry. Among the main investors are sugar mills, grain industries, the meat sector and, finally, dairies and canneries. However, in all these activities, interventions linked to preventive measures or to research and innovation represent a relatively modest share, accounting for just 17% of environmental investments. In many cases, pollution control remains an action that does not focus on manufacturing processes, even though these are the source of waste, the management of which should no longer be considered fatal.

Moreover, water should not be considered as a mere fluid, but as a quality raw material. At all levels (in processes, for washing, for cooling, etc.), managing water means relentlessly saving, both in terms of consumption and pollution.

It's also worth remembering that, whatever paths may be proposed, there are no ready-made solutions, only specific cases.