LAPSE:2021.0174
Published Article
LAPSE:2021.0174
Life-Cycle Assessment of Dairy Products—Case Study of Regional Cheese Produced in Portugal
Óscar Soares Nunes, Pedro Dinis Gaspar, José Nunes, Paula Quinteiro, Ana Cláudia Dias, Radu Godina
April 16, 2021
Nowadays, there is a growing promotion to label products ecologically in European markets. Knowing that daily products have relevant environmental impact associated with their production, it is of utmost importance to analyse all the related production processes for a better understanding of each process impact. The present study analysed the potential environmental impacts of a Portuguese regional product, the Beira Baixa cheese, coming from the largest national sheep milk region. So, a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology is used from -cradle-to -gate, including the supplying of the animal feedstock. Impact calculations are performed using the ReCiPe midpoint 2008 method, allowing an analysis of the environmental impacts contributing to climate change, terrestrial acidification, freshwater and marine eutrophication of all productive processes. The results have shown that the greatest impacts occur within the milk production process for all four selected impact categories. This happens mainly due to the fodder cultivation process, also necessary to produce animal feed, which contain processes of fertilization and land preparation. The enteric fermentation and manure management processes have also shown relevant contributions. The impact assessment also showed that the cheesemaking industry has practically insignificant impacts. Nonetheless, the cheesemaking industry can promote their business with these results, by advertising and marketing their product as environmentally friendly, with production processes causing reduced impacts, and therefore also their products.
Keywords
cheese production process, cradle-to-gate, dairy industry, life cycle assessment, ReCiPe method
Suggested Citation
Nunes ?S, Gaspar PD, Nunes J, Quinteiro P, Dias AC, Godina R. Life-Cycle Assessment of Dairy Products—Case Study of Regional Cheese Produced in Portugal. (2021). LAPSE:2021.0174
Author Affiliations
Nunes ?S: Electromechanical Engineering Department, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês d’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal
Gaspar PD: Electromechanical Engineering Department, University of Beira Interior, Rua Marquês d’Ávila e Bolama, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal; C-MAST—Centre for Mechanical and Aerospace Science and Technologies, 6201-001 Covilhã, Portugal [ORCID]
Nunes J: Agriculture School, Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco, Quinta da Senhora de Mércules, 6001-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
Quinteiro P: Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Dias AC: Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Environment and Planning, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Godina R: UNIDEMI, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal [ORCID]
Journal Name
Processes
Volume
8
Issue
9
Article Number
E1182
Year
2020
Publication Date
2020-09-18
Published Version
ISSN
2227-9717
Version Comments
Original Submission
Other Meta
PII: pr8091182, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2021.0174
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doi:10.3390/pr8091182
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Apr 16, 2021
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CC BY 4.0
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[v1] (Original Submission)
Apr 16, 2021
 
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Apr 16, 2021
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https://psecommunity.org/LAPSE:2021.0174
 
Original Submitter
Calvin Tsay
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