Rachit Soni

Background: Bread, a basic need for the survival of human beings, is highly perishable, has a short shelf-life, and loses its quality and potency after its date of expiry. This leads to a considerable amount of bread waste and loss in the economy. This study explores and analyses the most common causes of wastage in the bread supply chain and proposes key strategies for waste mitigation in bread-producing industries in the context of Indian bakeries. Methods: Based on a systematic literature review and pilot studies, Monte-Carlo simulation techniques were applied to conduct the analysis. Results: The results indicate that bread should be recalled from the market after three days rather than the usual six, and the strategy used by companies A and E (in this study) is recommended. Conclusions: These tactics ensure that any bread returned to the company is in great condition, giving us two to three days to transform the bread into some by-products. It will help managers, decision makers, and specialists create a successful waste-reduction strategy.

Bread has played an integral part in people’s life for a long period of time. It plays an important role in our daily eating lives. It has its period of usa-bility and from that point forward, the bread waste is produced. However, the causes of bread waste and mitigation strategy for reducing waste at various levels of the supply chain are still being studied. This study examines recent literature on the major cause of bread waste and its percentage in the bread supply chain. There are various waste mitigation measures that have been evaluated in order to tackle the loss rate at the supplier-retailer interaction. This research contributes to a better understanding of the most effective strategy for reducing supply chain losses. It may help managers, decision-makers, and practitioners to identify the sources of waste in their supply chain and make effective decisions to decrease waste percentage.