Causes Of Food Waste Research Articles

Sustainable Fruit Consumption: The Influence of Color, Shape and Damage on Consumer Sensory Perception and Liking of Different Apples

Sustainable food production and consumption are currently key issues. About one third of food produced for human consumption is wasted. In developed countries, consumers are responsible for the largest amount of food waste throughout the supply chain. The unwillingness to purchase and consume suboptimal food products is an important cause of food waste, however, the reasons behind this are still insufficiently studied. Our research addresses the question of how combinations of color, shape and damage of apples influence consumer liking and perceived sensory attributes. In a laboratory study based on factorial design of visual appearance (color, shape and damage varied from optimal to suboptimal) a total of 130 consumers evaluated sensory perception of flavor and texture attributes in apple samples. Liking was also evaluated. The results showed a significant difference in liking between an optimal apple and all apple categories with at least two out of three suboptimal properties. Further, it was a clear trend that the optimal apple was perceived as sweeter, crispier, less bitter, and less earthy than all the other apples by the participating consumers, however, the results were not statistically significant. A suboptimal appearance, therefore, had a negative effect on both perception and liking.

Czech consumers' attitudes to food waste

The paper deals with Czech households’ subjective views on food waste. It examines households’ attitudes to food waste, including the causes of food waste. The primary data were obtained via a questionnaire survey with 1 582 respondents. The analyses allowed the identification of three categories of Czech households with different attitudes to food waste and its causes. These findings provide a basis for a proper selection of corrective measures aimed at amending or even completely transforming the current behaviour.<br />

Household food waste in an emerging country and the reasons why: Consumer´s own accounts and how it differs for target groups

A major share of food waste is caused in consumer households. Globally, this share is expected to increase with growing middle classes in emerging countries. Consumer behaviour factors causing food waste differ across the various food handling stages from purchase to use, as well as for the individual and the specific situation in question. In order to tackle food waste in the household, knowledge on the type of food wasted, the cause of waste, and the situation in which it occurs is needed for different target groups. Little research so far has studied household consumer related food waste in emerging countries. This study explored food waste in consumer´s own accounts of a recent food waste incident in 540 Uruguayan households. It used a mixed-method approach composed of open-ended questions, which were analysed using content analysis. Differences in the frequency of mention of the identified categories between socioeconomic and sociodemographic groups were analysed. Results showed that leftovers and fresh vegetable and fruit were the categories most consumers recall wasting, and indicated that sub-optimality and prolonged storage were major reasons for discarding food. The higher the socioeconomic group, the greater the likelihood of wasting fresh produce, and the more often due to sub-optimality. Findings imply that avoidable food waste might increase with affluence levels. Public policies or collaborative public-private information or intervention campaigns directed at consumer households can more effectively contribute to decreasing food waste if targeted at the most relevant categories and causes of food waste.

Using Causal Maps to Analyse the Major Root Causes of Household Food Waste: Results of a Survey among People from Central and Southern Italy

Food waste is an important sustainability issue that needs to be addressed. Consumer behaviour is one of the biggest sources of food waste in developed countries. To successfully reduce consumer-related food waste, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of its major root causes at the level of the individual. The present manuscript presents the results of an exploratory on-line survey that was made available through Google Drive and conducted among a representative sample of 1058 Italian individuals. The information contained in the questionnaire related to the characteristics of the individual respondents, their attitudes to expenditure and food, and their opinions of measures to reduce or prevent food waste. Data analysis was conducted in three phases. The first phase allowed for the identification, with the application of descriptive statistics, of the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and why, what, and how much they wasted. In the second phase, linear regression analysis and causal maps were used to both measure the statistical dependence between variables and to identify the main root causes of food waste in the phase of individual consumption. As expected, the perceived quantity of food waste that was declared by respondents was very low. Among the major root causes identified, the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers, types of food shopping purchases, and consumer behaviour played a key role. A causal map was drawn, which offers an immediate vision of the major root causes and can be a useful tool for policymakers who intend to introduce measures to combat food waste. Finally, participants’ responses showed that the main initiatives needed to eliminate waste are the separate collection and dissemination of more information on the impact that waste has on the environment. For these reasons, information and education policies are crucial for changing consumer lifestyles and raising awareness of the value of food.

Does resilience influence food waste causes? A systematic literature review

Abstract Studies that seek to relate resilience and food waste are still at an early stage. For organizations to be prepared to avoid and/or reduce it to improve their operations it is necessary to understand the impact of resilience on the food waste reduction. The aim of this article is to identify how elements of resilience can influence the causes of food waste in retail. To that end, we conducted a systematic literature review, which resulted in 90 articles. Next, we conducted a content analysis to facilitate a rigorous exploration of complex issues in the management field, seeking to relate the elements of resilience to the causes of food waste. We imported the articles into the QDA Miner qualitative data analysis software and then separated phrases and texts following the codebook guidelines. It was possible to locate common properties to the articles and to make initial comparisons between the resilience and food waste causes. As a result, it was observed that the elements of resilience can positively or negatively influence the causes of food waste in the retail and that most of these elements are related to the anticipation. The main elements of resilience identified are: Flexibility, Visibility and Collaboration. However, this influence is partial, since some of the elements, such as Redundancy and Financial Strength, prevent the full implementation of waste reduction. Finally, we discuss the study’s limitations and opportunities for further development in the conclusion.

A Sum of Incidentals or a Structural Problem? The True Nature of Food Waste in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona

Addressing the generation of food waste is a major challenge nowadays. An increasing interest in studying food waste generation has emerged over the last decade. However, little attention has been devoted to understanding the root of the problem by carrying out a whole-supply-chain analysis and applying multidimensional approaches. The aim of this paper was to identify the causes of food waste in the metropolitan region of Barcelona along the food supply chain, considering the relevant stakeholders’ perceptions. Moreover, we examined the circumstantial or structural nature of the identified causes. We conducted a qualitative study consisting of 24 in-depth interviews of key stakeholders in the region along the food supply chain from October 2014 to January 2015. The interviews were analyzed by content analysis, and the main results are presented here. We used a conceptual framework that differentiates among micro, meso, and macro causes to disentangle the nature of the causes. The results from this study show the great interest of regional stakeholders in the issue of the generation of food waste and provide a complete map of the causes of food waste in the metropolitan region. From our study, we advocate that food waste is not only a sum of incidentals but it a structural problem.

Assessment of nutritional loss with food waste and factors governing this waste at household level in Pakistan

One third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted meanwhile one billion people on the earth are suffering from hunger and malnutrition, making food waste a major sustainability issue. Food appropriate for human consumption but ultimately ends up unconsumed or discarded is called food waste. Reducing food waste can bring down the food costs, benefit the environment, and improve food security and human health as food comprised of various nutrients which are vital for disease prevention. Food and nutrition waste estimation is essential to provide awareness among the general public regarding importance of food which is thrown away as waste and to develop policies on regional and global level to reduce food waste or redirect surplus food to needy people before it going to waste. The current study aimed to (i) determine the level of food waste and its composition by types (ii) calculate the nutritional losses from food wastes and (iii) examine the causes of food waste at household level in tehsil Kahror Pakka, Pakistan. To explore these objectives, food waste generated during 24 h was collected from fifty one households, sorted and weighed into different types such as fruit, vegetables, cooked food, processed food, meat including fish and poultry and dairy products. Maximum food waste was associated with cooked food (35.02 g) whereas, minimum waste was reported by dairy products (1.98 g) per capita per day. Nutritional value of food waste was estimated by comparing the values of each food item with food composition table for Pakistan. Total amount of household food waste represented an estimated value of energy (54.42 kcal), protein (2.61 g), lipids (2.21 g), carbohydrates (10.58 g), fiber (0.75 g), β-carotene (275.2 mcg), and vitamin A (96.83RE), calcium (Ca) (22.49 mg) and phosphorous (P) (37.11 mg) per capita per day. Energy losses were higher from cereals (79%) while moisture losses were higher from fruits (53%) and vegetables (69%). Approximately 2.6% of total kcal requirement (2100 kcal) of Pakistan food basket was wasted with food waste. In a survey, most respondents reported that cooked food is wasted as it looks bad (50%), misplanning of meal (40%) and cooked improperly (36%). Processed food is mostly wasted due to unawareness of respondents regarding labeling dates (50%).

Food, nutrient, and energy waste among school students

PurposeAccording to a study by European Commission, 88m tons of food waste are generated per year, of which 46.5m tons are wasted by households. Households still remain the main source of food waste (53 percent). The purpose of this paper is to estimate households’ food waste and wastage-related losses of energy and nutrients among middle school students as well as assess educational intervention regarding food waste prevention.Design/methodology/approachThe study included 555 students from 11 schools in Poland. The study was conducted using the survey questionnaire and the three-day record of food waste. The interventional group filled a questionnaire before and after of education as well as after three months of intervention.FindingsStudents waste 23 g of food per day. The most wasted products are: potatoes, bread, fruits and vegetable as well as meet and ham. Energy losses from leftovers are less than 1–10 percent. Losses of nutritional value along with wastages were the highest for vitamin C, but also for dietary fiber, potassium and folate. Food waste education was nearly twice as strong in study group with films intervention, than those who received only a leaflet for parents.Research limitations/implicationsMiddle school students are responsible for households’ food waste and contribute to energy and nutrition losses. Educational intervention is more effective, while using multimedia methods and need to be continued.Practical implicationsThe paper is a scientific study and addressed to the scientific audience. However, due to the problem of households’ food waste, general public could be also interested.Social implicationsFood waste is an element of waste management. Studying the scale of food waste and waste related behavior can help to better understand causes of food waste. The search for ways to limit food waste, through education address to young people, can be an effective method of prevention of waste. The UN has established 17 new development goals for the years 2015–2030 (United Nations, 2015). One of them (Goal 12) is focused on ensuring sustainable consumption and production. It means halving food waste at the retail and consumer levels and food losses at the production and post-harvest stages by 2030.Originality/valueThere are few publications available about food waste including energy and nutrients waste. This study shows the scale of household waste, the quantity and type of wasted products and causes of disposal. Also, the way of handling with food waste at homes was examined. It is also important to draw attention to the responsibility of young people in wasting food, which was examined in the paper.

Helping You to Waste Less? Consumer Acceptance of Food Marketing Offers Targeted to Food-Related Lifestyle Segments of Consumers

ABSTRACTConsumer households and consumer behavior have been identified as the major cause of food waste in the supply chain. Food marketing might offer products and services that help consumers to reduce their food waste or reduce the consumer-related food waste at the consumer–retailer interface. However, such strategies require consumer acceptance and targeting the right customers. Through an online survey of 800 Danish consumers and a measure of food-related lifestyle, four clusters of consumer segments are identified. The segments are compared with regard to their acceptance of a number of actions consumers can take to reduce food waste or their acceptance of food marketing services they would need to pay for. Acceptance differs with food involvement and the role of the price criterion, as well as with gender, education and age. The findings show how food marketing can help consumers to reduce food waste, through actions targeted to specific segments of consumers characterized by food-related lifestyle differences.

Towards more sustainable food systems. Addressing food waste at school canteens

Food Waste is a global significant issue for ethical, environmental and economic reasons, while its management is difficult due to its frequent low visibility. Individual choices and preferences are closely related to the generation of food waste although likely to be modified through education and awareness campaigns. In particular, school canteens are big generators of food waste and, at the same time, provide a great opportunity to improve habits regarding nutrition and education on sustainability, thus impacting the future of the food system. The end purpose of this research is identifying the causes of food waste and unveiling best practices towards its reduction. To achieve this goal, we have designed and developed a mixed methods research approach including semi-structured interviews with managers and staff in schools and catering firms and waste audits at four school canteens - measuring waste from over 10,000 pupil's trays. In order to avoid potential bias due to meal preference, the audit lasted three to five consecutive weekdays per school, thus comprising different menus. We estimated overall food waste between 60 and 100 g per pupil per day. Plate waste represented the highest source of waste, although a big disparity was found among the schools based on their different educational perspectives. Key food waste determinants found were: first, top management standpoint towards food waste and sustainability in general. Secondly, we observed relevant differences among the three catering business models studied, regarding the stages where food waste is usually produced. Finally, food waste was also impacted by the diverse resource availability among the schools. Despite this, the human factor arose as the most relevant one when aiming to minimise food waste.

Waste Law and the Value of Food

This article explores the role of law in an emerging consensus as to the causes of food waste: a structural failure to value food. Food waste's legal home is waste law. The sagacity of this siting would appear to be self-evident. If there is a body of law concerned with the problem of waste generally, then why not use that body of law to address the challenges of a particular waste stream? We should test this assumption, acknowledging food's importance and difference as a resource, and keeping in mind structural causes of food waste. This article explores the limitations of waste law through an imbalance in support for anaerobic digestion over redistribution; an imbalance which actively removes edible food from the food supply chain. By underpinning and validating this imbalance, waste law reflects and reinforces structural causes of food waste, rather than providing the analytical tools needed to address the problem.

Cosmetic specifications in the food waste issue: Supply chain considerations and practices concerning suboptimal food products

During the last decade, food waste has become an object of interest for both scholars and society. The existence of cosmetic specifications regarding the physical appearance of foods in the food supply chains is considered to be one of the important causes of food waste. The relevant aesthetic standards concern the product's weight, shape, and size and are thought to contribute considerably to food waste across multiple supply chain levels. It has been suggested that the abolition of these specifications could be a relatively easy way to prevent food wastage. However, there is a dearth of empirical research due to the lack of data on the extent to which foods are wasted as a result of cosmetic specifications only. Importantly, there is also a lack of insight into the decision-making process of supply chain actors regarding such suboptimal products. The present research aims to fill this gap by investigating the motivations and perceptions of supply chain actors in their strategies on how to handle suboptimal products in their business practices. From thirty-three interviews with primary producers, producer organizations, and retailers from Germany and the Netherlands, we derive initial insights into (1) the presence and nature of cosmetic specifications, (2) the impact of these specifications on food waste, (3) the motivations, abilities, and opportunities of supply chain actors to handle suboptimal products in their business practice and (4) their perspectives on the end consumers' willingness to buy and pay for suboptimal products. With the Motivation, Ability, and Opportunity (MOA) framework, we provide new understanding of supply chain actors' decisions concerning the production or wastage of suboptimal products, which can generate new and essential insights into the food waste problem.

Food Waste in Three-Star Hotels in Egypt: Quantification and Potential for Reduction

Food waste, by its very nature, is extremely inefficient. It represents a missed opportunity to mitigate environmental and economic impacts throughout the food supply chain. A few scholarly publications have focused on measuring and monitoring the volume of food waste generated in the Egyptian hotels, although this information is valuable for planning and for setting benchmarks to compare the performance of one hotel against another, or of one hotel through a timeframe. Therefore, this study took the quantitative approach to identify the quantity, source points and causes of food waste in three-star hotels in Egypt. Besides, the study aimed to examine the status of food waste prevention activities currently adopted by the investigated hotels. Data have been collected through the direct weighing method using the tracking sheet approach to get certain descriptive data from three-star hotels about the quantity, type, and origin of food waste. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with hotels' executives to explore food waste prevention activities followed by the investigated hotels. The average food waste per hotel was estimated to be around (192.1) kg/day. The service/buffet stage had the biggest problem with food waste, which accounted for an estimated (48%) of all food waste produced in the investigated hotels. The majority (83%) of food waste at this stage was estimated to be avoidable food waste. These apparently high waste values were attributed to factors such as poor planning, types of food being served, facilities and technical constraints, eating behavior of customers, and lack of top management and employee support. Finally, intervention strategies were proposed based on the previous findings.

Food waste and losses in primary production: Qualitative insights from horticulture

Food waste is recognised as being one of the major global challenges in achieving a sustainable future. Currently very little is known about how much food is wasted in primary production. This study uses a qualitative approach to examine farmers’ views on food waste and losses occurring on soft fruit and vegetable farms. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 fruit and vegetable farmers in Scotland to gain information about 1) farmers’ attitudes to food waste, 2) how much food waste is generated on farms, 3) what are the causes of food waste, 4) what happens to the waste, and 5) what strategies can be used to reduce food waste on farms and add value to how waste is used. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse data from the interviews. This study revealed that farmers do not consider food waste to be an issue of primary concern and perceive food waste to be an intrinsic part of farming. Farmers do not routinely record waste and have difficulty in providing estimates for food waste and losses. Many of the causes of food waste identified in this study are due to factors further along the food supply chain, including cosmetic specifications by retailers, and a lack of processing facilities. Farmers expressed an interest in adding value to how food waste is used on their farms, but identified several barriers in relation to using food waste for energy production through anaerobic digestion.

Logistics solutions for reducing food waste

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to expand understandings of how logistics can reduce food waste in food supply chains (FSCs).Design/methodology/approachUsing a research framework that associates causes of food waste with logistics solutions, a multiple-case study was conducted in three Swedish FSCs of meat, fruit and vegetables, and ambient products, respectively, and involving industrial producers, wholesalers, and retailers. Data were collected during 19 semistructured interviews and four site visits, and logistics solutions were analysed according to logistics activities, actors involved and their stages in the FSC, and coordination mechanisms.FindingsA joint analysis of nine logistics solutions revealed that to efficiently reduce food waste in FSCs, solutions have been implemented at three stages of FSCs, as well as that those solutions differ in their integration of six logistics activities and four coordination mechanisms. The findings moreover indicate that the solutions are interlinked, thereby implying that coordination is necessary both within solutions as well as among them.Research limitations/implicationsThe chief limitation is that the potential of the identified logistics solutions is not quantified.Practical implicationsThe paper makes recommendations for reducing food waste in FSCs by developing new solutions and modifying existing ones.Social implicationsThe paper suggests ways to reduce significant environmental impacts of food waste.Originality/valueBy building upon previous research explaining causes of food waste, this paper focusses on logistics solutions for reducing such waste.

Quantification of food waste in public catering services – A case study from a Swedish municipality

Food waste is a major problem that must be reduced in order to achieve a sustainable food supply chain. Since food waste valorisation measures, like energy recovery, have limited possibilities to fully recover the resources invested in food production, there is a need to prevent food waste. Prevention is most important at the end of the value chain, where the largest number of sub-processes have already taken place and occur in vain if the food is not used for its intended purpose, i.e. consumption. Catering facilities and households are at the very end of the food supply chain, and in Sweden the public catering sector serves a large number of meals through municipal organisations, including schools, preschools and elderly care homes. Since the first step in waste reduction is to establish a baseline measurement in order to identify problems, this study sought to quantify food waste in schools, preschools and elderly care homes in one municipality in Sweden. The quantification was conducted during three months, spread out over three semesters, and was performed in all 30 public kitchen units in the municipality of Sala. The kitchen staff used kitchen scales to quantify the mass of wasted and served food divided into serving waste (with sub-categories), plate waste and other food waste.The food waste level was quantified as 75g of food waste per portion served, or 23% of the mass of food served. However, there was great variation between kitchens, with the waste level ranging from 33g waste per portion served (13%) to 131g waste per portion served (34%). Wasted food consisted of 64% serving waste, 33% plate waste and 3% other food waste. Preschools had a lower waste level than schools, possibly due to preschool carers eating together with the children. Kitchens that received warm food prepared in another kitchen (satellite kitchens) had a 42% higher waste level than kitchens preparing all food themselves (production units), possibly due to the latter having higher flexibility in cooking the right amount of food and being able to chill and save surplus food. The large variation between kitchens indicates that they have different causes of food waste, but also different opportunities to reduce it. Detailed waste quantification for each kitchen can therefore be the first step in the process of waste reduction.

This apple is too ugly for me!: Consumer preferences for suboptimal food products in the supermarket and at home

Food waste has received increasing scientific and societal attention during the last decade. One important cause of food waste is thought to be the un-willingness of supply chains and consumers to sell, purchase, and consume suboptimal or imperfect foods. Yet, empirical research on this issue is scarce and contradictory. The current research investigates under which conditions consumers purchase or consume foods that deviate from regular products in terms of appearance standards, date labelling, or damaged packaging, without deviation on the intrinsic quality or safety. An online choice experiment among 4214 consumers from five Northern European countries reveals that consumer preferences for suboptimal products differ depending on whether the consumer is in a supermarket or at home, and depending on the type of sub-optimality. Moreover, consumer choices, discount preferences, and waste behaviors of suboptimal products are influenced by demographics (nationality, age), by personality characteristics (value orientation, commitment to environmental sustainability, and perceived consumer effectiveness in saving the environment), and by individual-waste aspects (perceived food waste of the household, perceived importance of food waste, engaging in shopping/cooking). These findings provide important insights into consumer preferences for suboptimal products, and useful suggestions for supply-chain regulations on suboptimal products.

Reframing communications that encourage individuals to reduce food waste

ABSTRACTThe waste of edible food throughout the food chain is recognised as a global issue and academic research focuses on how to encourage reductions in this waste. At the consumer level, governments are investing in communication campaigns that encourage individuals to reduce the amount of edible food discarded in their home-based activities. The specific aims of this paper were to identify causes of food waste and what experts recommend for reducing the problem, to identify gaps between information provided in food waste communication campaigns and the experts recommendations, and finally to empirically identify further gaps between individuals’ knowledge of food waste with a framework of the expert recommendations. In terms of findings, the literature review identified a range of causes and nine relevant expert recommendations for reducing this waste. An evaluation of a number of major consumer-focused communication campaigns available in Australia and New Zealand provided evidence that these campaigns were addressing some of the recommendations from experts. A subsequent qualitative investigation of household members’ knowledge of the issues of food discard showed that individuals’ understandings can be prioritised in terms of the expert recommendations and the communication messages in the campaigns. Further research is identified based on these findings.

FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY ASSURANCE IN TERMS OF LOSS AND WASTE LIMITATION

One of the greatest challenges of 21st century is satisfying the food needs of the fast growing population of the world. Food must fulfill quality and safety standards. The access to safe and appropriate food is not the same everywhere. Food excess and, in consequence, food waste is present in many regions of the world. This study is meant to explain the causes of food waste on the basis of the author’s own research and study results of other scientists. The lack of authenticity and falsification belong to the new factors endangering food safety and food waste related thereto. This analysis proves that the authenticity of food improves its safety through the implementation of quality management systems, the appropriate system of food labelling and food identification by means of applicable law regulations, supervision and control systems. Main aim of this study is to address why, even though there are so many quality standards and systems, a significant problem with food loss and waste constantly occurs. Waste-causing factors have been determined on the example of bread and the handling of unconsumed bread has been attempted in this study. Waste limiting actions are necessary as food production is significantly overburdening the natural environment and generating increasing amount of waste, hazardous to the clean air.

Food waste reduction in supermarkets – Net costs and benefits of reduced storage temperature

Food waste is a major problem and therefore measures are needed to reduce it. Since expired best-before date is a frequently cited cause of food waste in supermarkets, prolonging shelf life could reduce food waste. Longer shelf life could be achieved in different ways, e.g. reduced storage temperature. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the extent to which longer shelf life actually leads to reduced food waste, and whether the benefits of reduced waste exceed the increased energy costs of maintaining reduced storage temperature. Therefore this study calculated the net effect of reducing food waste in supermarkets by reducing the storage temperature through simulating the relationships between food waste reduction, longer shelf life, reduced storage temperature and increased energy costs.A case study was performed using three years of data on cheese, dairy, deli and meat product waste in six Swedish supermarkets, together with published data on microbiological growth at different temperatures and on the energy requirement for cold storage at different temperatures. Food waste was found to be reduced with lower storage temperature for all food products tested. This measure gave increasing net savings in terms of money and greenhouse gas emissions for meat products with decreasing storage temperature. Deli products had net savings close to zero, while for dairy and cheese products there were net losses, since the costs of reducing storage temperature exceeded the potential savings. Therefore, reducing storage temperature has the potential to reduce waste, but at a total net cost. However, a net benefit can be achieved if the measure is only introduced for products with high relative waste, low turnover and high value per unit mass.