Evaluation of global research trends in the area of food waste due to date labeling using a scientometrics approach

Abstract

Food is lost or wasted at different stages of the food production, consumption, and supply chain. Confusion over the interpretation of date labels at the retail and consumption stages results in consumers discarding safe, wholesome, and good quality food, which contribute significantly to the global food waste. Yet, there is a lack of research in understanding the association between food waste and date labeling worldwide. Our study is one of the first in this area to provide information on the status of food waste and date labeling research globally. Using a scientometrics analysis of the publication records obtained from the Web of Science database, we have provided important scientific information on the global trends including interdisciplinarity of this research area. Findings from this study indicate that food waste due to date labeling research has started gaining momentum globally over the last ten years. Data indicated that this research area is highly interdisciplinary in nature and the interdisciplinary collaboration among scientists in Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics with other disciplines was the strongest. Additionally, results showed that previous studies have not taken multi-stakeholder's perspectives into account. Thus, it is imperative to explore multi-stakeholder's perspectives and undertake a multi-disciplinary approach to better understand food waste from date labeling. A Community-Based Participatory Research approach is critical to reduce food waste and contribute to global food security.