Toward Sustainable Calcium Propionate Production: A Comparative Review of Six Methods

Calcium propionate is an essential preservative in food and feed applications, yet the sustainability of its production methods remains underexplored. This study provides a structured comparative evaluation of six production pathways: chemical synthesis, direct neutralization, biotechnological fermentation, electrochemical synthesis, waste valorization, and enzymatic conversion. The assessment was conducted through a literature-based framework, integrating data from more than 80 peer-reviewed studies, patents, and industrial reports published between 2000 and 2025. Five key criteria were applied—scalability, cost-efficiency, environmental impact, process complexity, and product purity—each scored on a scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent). Chemical synthesis and direct neutralization achieved the highest scalability and cost-efficiency scores (4–5/5), confirming their industrial maturity, though both exhibit environmental drawbacks. Biotechnological fermentation and waste valorization demonstrated superior environmental performance (5/5) and alignment with circular economy principles but were constrained by high downstream costs and limited scalability. Electrochemical and enzymatic methods showed promise in purity (4–5/5) and environmental compatibility, though their technical immaturity and elevated investment costs currently hinder large-scale adoption. This study highlights that no single method excels across all criteria, revealing trade-offs between scalability and sustainability. The novelty of this work lies in consolidating fragmented literature into a structured decision-support framework, visualized through a scoring matrix and radar chart. Hybrid approaches and integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) tools are recommended to guide the development of more sustainable production strategies.