A systematic review of data-driven approaches to food waste and loss management

Food waste is a critical global issue with severe environmental, economic, and social impacts, necessitating effective management strategies. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on data-driven approaches for food waste and loss management, focusing on trends, research gaps, and future directions. The review follows PRISMA guidelines, encompassing literature search, screening, bibliometric analysis, and content analysis. The dataset includes peer-reviewed papers published between 2009 and 2025, with 77 articles selected after screening and exclusions. Bibliometric analysis, conducted using VOSviewer, validated the themes identified through content analysis, highlighting key areas such as waste-to-energy conversion, food waste valorization, and smart sensing technologies. It also revealed dominant keywords and research trends, including machine learning applications, IoT technologies, and circular economy principles. Despite these advancements, the review identifies gaps such as limited research on higher-tier recovery strategies, the scalability of AI-driven solutions, and the lack of cross-sector collaboration for effective food waste reduction. To advance the field, future research should prioritize higher-tier recovery strategies, enhance AI-driven methodologies for real-time waste prediction, and foster collaboration between industries, policymakers, and researchers. By synthesizing current research and providing a roadmap for future investigations, this review contributes to advancing knowledge and promoting innovative, data-driven solutions for reducing food waste. • Systematically reviews 77 studies on data-driven food waste management. • Identifies seven key themes including valorization and smart technologies. • Reveals gaps in scalability, policy assessment, and cross-sector integration. • Emphasizes AI and ML potential in prediction, monitoring, and optimization. • Offers actionable insights to support circular, sustainable food waste systems.