Food loss in the dairy supply chain

This paper provides the first comprehensive assessment of food losses in France’s cow milk supply chain, which represents 97.9% of the national dairy sector. The analysis is structured into primary production and processing/distribution stages, using statistical data and interviews with industry and academic experts. Results reveal that 3.2% of total milk produced is discarded at farm level—primarily due to mastitis—though two thirds of non-conforming milk are redirected to calf feed, limiting on-farm waste to 1% of production. Processing and distribution losses, largely as dairy effluent, range from 1–3%. The study highlights udder health improvement as a key lever to reduce overall food loss.