The Sustainable Approaches in the Processes of Cheese with Eyes: A Life Cycle Perspective, Hotspots and Scenarios

The Sustainable Approaches in the Processes of Cheese with Eyes: A Life Cycle Perspective, Hotspots and Scenarios | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article The Sustainable Approaches in the Processes of Cheese with Eyes: A Life Cycle Perspective, Hotspots and Scenarios İpek Gülçin Uysal, Neslihan Çolak, Nurcan Koca This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8756899/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 10 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The cheese industry requires sustainable strategies due to its intensive use of energy and water throughout its production stages. This study applies a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to İzmir Tulum cheese with small eyes; a product protected as a geographical indication focusing on ‘cradle-to-gate’ impacts from raw milk production to cheese processing. Using primary data from a dairy plant, GaBi software, and the CML 2016 method, environmental burdens were quantified and compared with other eye-containing cheeses. The study further explored three scenarios addressing key impact hotspots to enhance sustainable cheese production. Electricity consumption and steam demand were identified as the primary environmental hotspots, defined as the processes contributing disproportionately to overall impacts, particularly affecting Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Human Toxicity Potential (HTP). Waste management was identified as a secondary contributor, influencing selected impact categories. Results show raw milk production as the dominant contributor to all categories. Transport, packaging, and salt use were additional contributors to Acidification Potential (AP) and Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP). Three improvement scenarios were analyzed to explore the benefits of renewable energy integration and enhanced logistics. Scenario modeling revealed that transitioning to photovoltaic energy reduced GWP by 54.5% and AP by 42.9%, while solar-thermal integration for 50% of thermal needs achieved a 9.1% reduction in GWP. These results indicate significant potential for renewable energy integration in cheese production to reduce environmental impacts. The findings provide insights into strategies for improving sustainability in the cheese industry, aligning with the European Green Deal’s goals for carbon neutrality by 2050. sustainability LCA dairy photovoltaic carbon footprint GWP HTP Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files graphicalabstract.pdf highlights.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 04 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 30 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 26 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 12 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 12 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 01 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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