Recognizing the importance of packaging in the delivery and preservation of food in a supply chain that spreads across the globe, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Messe Düsseldorf GmbH are sponsoring an international congress and exhibition in conjunction with this year's Interpack.

The focus of Save Food will be food, packaging and sustainability. The two organizations are pooling their international resources to investigate the problem of food loss and possible solutions, based on three country studies by the FAO, which will be presented to the public for the first time in Düsseldorf.

Save Food highlights the reasons for global food losses and intends to show the contribution that the packaging can make toward safeguarding foods. The congress will bring together in Düsseldorf a number of stakeholders from the food and packaging industries, retail, politics, administration, research and non-government organizations. 

"Worldwide food losses are estimated to range from 20 to 75 percent," says Robert van Otterdijk, FAO officer for Save Food. "The total quantity could be as high as 1.2 billion tons. Therefore raising awareness and behavioral change is highly necessary." 

Tickets for the two-day Save Food congress are available at a cost of €950 plus VAT (including a three-day ticket for Interpack) at www.save-food.org

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