As consumers increasingly prefer locally sourced food, there is a growing movement towards optimising resource use and reducing emissions in supply chains. While Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) traditionally emphasise social and institutional proximity, this study strategically addresses the environmental impact by implementing innovative technologies on a smaller scale. This article explores the possibility of implementing a mobile processing unit (FOX unit) that utilises two innovative technologies, one for gentle juice extraction (spiral filter) and the other for preservation of freshly pressed products (pulsed electric fields - PEF). The study investigates a solution that could streamline the supply chain between producers and consumers by offering a decentralised and modular approach to processing. Using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), tomato juice production is compared under traditional thermal pasteurisation (Scenario 1) and the FOX unit (Scenario 2). This study also assesses the impacts of centralising production and shipping raw materials between countries (Scenario 3), considering the FOX unit as part of the evaluation. Further analysis includes relocating this unit to the countries of raw material origin (Scenario 4). Data retrieved from literature, databases, and practical trials, revealed that tomato juice production with the FOX unit led to a 15% reduction in environmental impact across all categories compared to traditional thermal pasteurisation. When relocating the unit, the overall environmental impact decreased as the volume of processed raw materials increased, reaching levels comparable to the results obtained from shipping 1 ton of raw material to a centralised location in various studied countries (with variations in midpoint categories depending on the location, such as 200 tons in France, 15 tons in Italy, and 45 tons in Spain), albeit with variation in the categories. This study highlights the potential environmental benefits of integrating the FOX unit in SFSCs, offering valuable insights for sustainable food supply chain practices.

中文翻译：

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为优化资源利用而设计的可持续食物链：优化小型食物链以实现可持续资源利用：番茄汁的综合案例研究

随着消费者越来越喜欢本地食品，优化资源利用和减少供应链排放的运动日益兴起。虽然短食品供应链 (SFSC) 传统上强调社会和机构邻近性，但本研究通过在较小规模上实施创新技术来战略性地解决环境影响。本文探讨了实施移动处理单元（FOX 单元）的可能性，该单元利用两种创新技术，一种用于温和榨汁（螺旋过滤器），另一种用于保存新鲜压榨的产品（脉冲电场 - PEF）。该研究调查了一种解决方案，该解决方案可以通过提供分散和模块化的处理方法来简化生产者和消费者之间的供应链。使用生命周期评估 (LCA)，对传统热巴氏灭菌（场景 1）和 FOX 装置（场景 2）下的番茄汁生产进行比较。本研究还评估了国家之间集中生产和运输原材料的影响（情景 3），并将 FOX 单位作为评估的一部分。进一步分析包括将该单位搬迁至原材料原产国（情景 4）。从文献、数据库和实际试验中检索的数据显示，与传统热巴氏灭菌相比，使用 FOX 装置生产番茄汁可将所有类别的环境影响减少 15%。重新安置该装置时，随着加工原材料数量的增加，总体环境影响下降，达到与将 1 吨原材料运送到各个研究国家的集中地点所获得的结果相当的水平（中点类别的变化取决于位置，例如法国 200 吨，意大利 15 吨，西班牙 45 吨），尽管类别有所不同。这项研究强调了将 FOX 单元整合到 SFSC 中的潜在环境效益，为可持续食品供应链实践提供了宝贵的见解。