Food loss analysis in the upstream supply chain of large broilers

Food loss in upstream broiler supply chains remains an underexamined challenge with implications for sustainability and economic efficiency. Reported losses highlight systemic inefficiencies but lack integrated, context-specific analysis. This study quantifies broiler food loss across the farm, transport, and slaughter stages in Thailand, identifies key drivers of loss, and proposes mitigation strategies. One-year batch-level data from 79 farms, 6330 trips, and a commercial slaughterhouse were analyzed. Variables included farm scale, flock size, stocking density, transport distance and duration, ambient temperature, humidity, and lairage waiting time. Losses were assessed using descriptive statistics and benchmarked against the literature. Inferential analyses using the Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests examined group differences, while Spearman's rank correlation assessed variable associations. Count-data models quantified the effects of operational and environmental factors on mortality. Mean on-farm mortality was 2.66%, with higher losses in medium-scale farms, suggesting managerial and resource constraints. Transport losses averaged 0.10%, with regression results indicating significant positive effects of stocking density, temperature, transport distance, and waiting time on mortality. Mortality was highly sensitive to heat stress and longer lairage. Higher humidity and lower temperatures were associated with reduced losses. Slaughterhouse losses (0.04%, excluding contamination) were predominantly due to trimming, with seasonal variation linked to scalding efficiency and disease-related defects. Kruskal–Wallis tests confirmed that environmental factors did not significantly influence processing-stage losses. This study integrates multi-stage evidence into a single supply chain, translating the findings into twelve targeted interventions and four priority measures to reduce losses and enhance supply chain resilience.