Abstract
Purpose
The dairy sector covers multiple activities related to milk production and treatment for alimentary uses. Different dairy products are available in the markets, with yoghurt being the second most important in terms of production. The goal of this study was to analyse from a cradle-to-grave approach the environmental impacts and energy balance derived from the yoghurt (solid, stirred and drinking yoghurts) manufacture process in a specific dairy factory processing 100 % Portuguese raw milk.
Methods
The standard framework of life cycle assessment (LCA) was followed and inventory data were collected on site in the dairy factory and completed using the literature and databases. The following impact categories were evaluated adopting a CML method: abiotic depletion (ADP), acidification (AP), eutrophication (EP), global warming (GWP), ozone layer depletion (ODP), land competition (LC) and photochemical oxidants formation (POFP), with the energy analysis carried out based on the cumulative non-renewable fossil and nuclear energy demand (CED). A mass allocation approach was considered for the partitioning of the environmental burdens between the different products obtained since not only yoghurts are produced but also dairy fodder.
Results and discussion
The key processes from an environmental point of view were identified. Some of the potential results obtained were in line with other specific related studies where dairy systems were assessed from an LCA perspective. The production of the milk-based inputs (i.e. raw milk, concentrated and powdered milk) was the main factor responsible of the environmental loads and energy requirements, with remarkable contributions of 91 % of AP, 92 % of EP and 62 % of GWP. Other activities that have important environmental impacts include the production of the energy requirements in the dairy factory, packaging materials production and retailing.
Potential alternatives were proposed in order to reduce the contributions to the environmental profile throughout the life cycle of the yoghurt. These alternatives were based on the minimisation of milk losses, reductions of distances travelled and energy consumption at retailing and household use, as well as changes to the formulation of the animal feed. All of these factors derived from light environmental reductions.
Conclusions
The main reductions of the environmental impact derived from yoghurt production can be primarily obtained at dairy farms, although important improvements could also be made at the dairy factory.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/dairy/as1253w.htm [accessed March 13, 2012]
http://www.ddc-wales.co.uk/client_files/grass_silage_analysis.pdf [accessed March 13, 2012]
References
Althaus HJ, Chudacoff M, Hischier R, Jungbluth N, Osses M, Primas A (2007). Life cycle inventories of chemicals. Ecoinvent report No. 8, v2.0 EMPA, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Deubendorf, Switzerland
Bartl K, Gómez CA, Nemecek T (2011) Life cycle assessment of milk produced in two smallholder dairy systems in the highlands and the coast of Peru. J Clean Prod 19:1494–1505
Basset-Mens C, van der Werf HMG (2005) Scenario-based environmental assessment of farming systems: the case of pig production in France. Agric Ecosyst Environ 105:127–144
Berlin J (2002) Environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of Swedish semi-hard cheese. Int Dairy J 12:939–953
Berlin J, Sonesson U (2008) Minimising environmental impact by sequencing cultured dairy products: two case studies. J Clean Prod 16:483–498
Berlin J, Sonesson U, Tillman AM (2007) A life cycle based method to minimise environmental impact of dairy production through product sequencing. J Clean Prod 15:347–356
Berlin J, Sonesson U, Tillman AM (2008) Product chain actors’ potential for greening the product life cycle. The case of the Swedish postfarm milk. J Ind Ecol 12(1):95–110
Castanheira EG, Dias AC, Arroja L, Amaro R (2010) The environmental performance of milk production on a typical Portuguese dairy farm. Agric Syst 103:498–507
Cederberg C, Mattsson B (2000) Life cycle assessment of milk production—a comparison of conventional and organic farming. J Clean Prod 8:49–60
Cederberg C, Stadig M (2003) System expansion and allocation in life cycle assessment of milk and beef production. Int J Life Cycle Assess 8(6):350–356
Celpa—Associação da Indústria Papeleira (2011) http://www.celpa.pt/index.php [accessed March, 2012]
de Boer IJM (2003) Environmental impact assessment of conventional and organic milk production. Live Prod Sci 80:69–77
Doka G (2007) Life cycle inventories of waste treatment services. Ecoinvent report No. 13, v2.0 EMPA, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Dones R, Bauer C, Bolliger R, Burger B, Faist Emmenegger M, Frischknecht R, Heck T, Jungbluth N, Röder A, Tuchschmid M (2007) Life cycle inventories of energy systems: results for current systems in Switzerland and other UCTE countries. Ecoinvent report No. 5. Paul Scherrer Institut Villigen, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Eriksson IS, Elmquist H, Stern S, Nybrant T (2005) Environmental systems analysis of pig production. The impact of feed choice. Int J Life Cycle Assess 10(2):143–154
Euromilk (2011) http://www.euromilk.org/upload/docs/EDA/Statistics/EU%20Dairy%20Market%20summaries%202007-2010%20and%202011%20forecast.pdf [accessed March, 2012]
European Commission (2011a) http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/food/eu-market/index_en.htm [accessed February, 2012]
Eurostat (2006) http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/cache/ITY_OFFPUB/KS-BW-09-001/EN/KS-BW-09-001-EN.PDF
Fantin V, Buttol P, Pergreffi R, Masoni P (2012) Life cycle assessment of Italian high quality milk production. A comparison with an EPD study. J Clean Prod 28:150–159
Gallego A, Hospido A, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2011) Environmental assessment of dehydrated alfalfa production in Spain. Resour Conserv Recy 55:1005–1012
Glende C (1997) Vedlegg til LCA som beslutningsgrunnlag ved fordeling av kulturmelkproduksjon (LCA as a criterion for decisions regarding cultured milk production). M.Sc. thesis, Department of Food Science, Agriculture University of Norway, Ǻs, Norway
Goedkoop M, de Schryver A, Oele M (2008) Introduction to LCA with SimaPro 7. PRé Consultants, The Netherlands
González-García S, Castanheira EG, Dias AC, Arroja L (2012) Using LCA methodology to assess UHT milk production in a Portuguese case study. Sci Total Environ. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.10.035
Guinée JB, Gorrée M, Heijungs R, Huppes G, Kleijn R, de Koning A, van Oers L, Wegener A, Suh S, Udo de Haes HA (2001) Life cycle assessment. An operational guide to the ISO standards. Centre of Environmental Science, Leiden
Hischier R (2007) Life cycle inventories of packagings and graphical papers. Ecoinvent report No. 11, v2.0 EMPA, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Hischier R, Weidema B, Althaus HJ, Bauer C, Doka G, Dones R, et al. (2007) Implementation of life cycle impact assessment methods. Ecoinvent report No. 3, v2.1. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Hoffman P (1999) Adding urea to corn silage. University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. http://www.uwex.edu/ces/crops/uwforage/Adding%20Urea%20to%20Corn%20Silage.htm [accessed March, 2012]
Høgaas Eide M (2002) Life cycle assessment (LCA) of industrial milk production. Int J Life Cycle Assess 7(2):115–126
Hospido A, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2003) Simplified life cycle assessment of Galician milk production. Int Dairy J 13:783–796
Hospido A, Vazquez ME, Cuevas A, Feijoo G, Moreira MT (2006) Environmental assessment of canned tuna manufacture with a life-cycle perspective. Resour Conserv Recy 47:56–72
IEA –International Energy Agency (2009) Electricity/Heat Data for Portugal Electricity/Heat in Portugal in 2004. http://www.iea.org [accessed March, 2012]
INE—Statistics Portugal (2009) www.ine.pt [accessed January, 2012]
INE—Statistics Portugal (2010) www.ine.pt [accessed February, 2012]
Iribarren D, Hospido A, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2011) Benchmarking environmental and operational parameters through eco-efficiency criteria for dairy farms. Sci Tot Environ 409:1786–1798
ISO 14040 (2006) Environmental management–life cycle assessment—principles and framework. Second edition. Geneva, Switzerland
Karlsson M, Rohdin P, Karlsson F, Moshfegh B (2004) Energikonsekvenser av strukturerat energieffektivitetstänkande för Arla Foods (EKSET) (Energy consequences found by a structured energy efficient thinking for Arla Foods). Department of Energy Systems, Linköping University of Technology, Linköping
Keoleian GA, Phipps AW, Dritz T, Brachfeld D (2004) Life cycle environmental performance and improvement of a yogurt product delivery system. Packag Technol Sci 17:85–103
Korsström E, Lampi M (2008) Best available techniques (BAT) for the Nordic dairy industry. http://eldri.ust.is/media/skyrslur2002/BAT_mjolkuridn_2001-586.pdf [accessed March 13, 2012]
Meissner Schau E, Magerholm Fet A (2008) LCA studies of food products as background for environmental product declarations. Int J Life Cycle Assess 13(3):255–264
Nielsen PH, Nielsen AM, Weidema BP, Dalgaard R, Halberg N (2003) LCAfood Database. http://www.lcafood.dk [accessed March 13, 2012]
Plastic Europe (2012) http://www.plasticseurope.org/ [accessed March 13, 2012]
Portuguese Environmental Agency (2010) http://www.apambiente.pt [accessed February, 2012]
Ramírez CA, Patel M, Blok K (2006) From fluid milk to milk powder: energy use and energy efficiency in the European dairy industry. Energy 31:1984–2004
Spielmann M, Bauer C, Dones R, Tuchschmid M (2007) Transport services. Ecoinvent report No. 14. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Wijnands JHM, van der Meulen BMJ, Poppe KJ (2007) Competitiveness of the European Food Industry. An economic and legal assessment. European Commission. http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/food/files/competitiveness_study_en.pdf [accessed March 13, 2012]
Acknowledgements
Dr. S. González-García would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Education for financial support (grant reference: EX2009-0740) for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship taken at University of Aveiro (Portugal), during which this paper was prepared. Dr. A.C. Dias would like to thank FCT (Science and Technology Foundation—Portugal) for the Postdoctoral Fellowship (SFRH/BPD/20363/2004). Érica G. Castanheira would like to thank FCT for the financial support (SFRH/BD/60328/2009), Energy for Sustainability Initiative of the University of Coimbra and MIT PORTUGAL program.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Ivan Muñoz
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
González-García, S., Castanheira, É.G., Dias, A.C. et al. Environmental life cycle assessment of a dairy product: the yoghurt. Int J Life Cycle Assess 18, 796–811 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-012-0522-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-012-0522-8