Food Waste Prevention Research Articles

Household food waste in five territories in Europe and Northern Africa: Evaluation of differences and similarities as implication for actions.

Reduction of food waste is an important element of the sustainable transformation of food systems. This study focused on food waste quantification, its causes, and perception in 5 territories: North Hessia (Germany), Cilento Bio-District (Italy), Kenitra (Morocco), Warsaw (Poland), Copenhagen (Denmark) with the main objective of assessing whether different cultures affected the levels and the profiles of household food waste. A validated questionnaire was used to assess the quantities and typologies of food waste (completely unused, partially used, meal leftovers, leftovers after storing). In addition, the reasons for food waste and how food waste was perceived were investigated. In a sample of 2154 respondents, the level of still edible food that was wasted amounted to 399 g per family per week, equivalent to 153 g per capita. Kenitra showed the highest amount of FW per household (539 g), but the lowest amount of food waste per capita (125 g). Citizens of rural communities, e.g., Cilento Bio-District (136 g), North Hessia Federal State (132 g), and Kenitra (125 g), had more effective food waste prevention practices than citizens of urban areas, e.g., Copenhagen (201 g) and Warsaw (179 g). Family size was identified as a significant factor in FW generation, with households having 5 or more members showing lower FW per capita (85 g) than single-member families (309 g). The study underscores the need for tailored strategies to reduce FW considering the above-reported territorial differences.

Managing Household Food Waste with the FoodSaveShare Mobile Application

It is estimated that European households are responsible for 55% of food waste generation. Key factors contributing to household food waste generation include food spoilage, confusion over expiration dates, overbuying, and inadequate shopping planning. Thus, food waste prevention at the household level depends heavily on food supplies monitoring and management. To this end, during the last decade, several consumer-oriented digital tools have been designed and launched. A literature review showed that currently accessible digital tools are scarce and cover a narrow range of functionalities. Here, we address these issues by designing and launching a decision support tool implemented in a smart mobile phone application (app), the FoodSaveShare Mobile App. The application development followed a traditional client–server architecture using state-of-the-art software and hardware technologies. Additionally, a survey of 340 individuals was conducted to better understand end-user motivation for and barriers against adopting this and similar apps. The developed application combines user-provided data with a retailer loyalty program to leverage the integrated features for tracking shopping activities. The app features a household shopping list populated by product barcode scanning and manual entry. Based on food and packaging type, food products are assigned approximate expiration dates to issue product expiration reminders. For products about to expire, suggestions for their utilization are provided, drawing from a list of over 7000 recipes. Additional functionality allows users to identify products that have either been consumed in time or that need to be discarded. Analytical tools, such as past purchase and resources discarded versus resources saved statistics, offer comprehensive insight and encourage improved shopping and consumption practices. The FoodSaveShare App was launched during the A2UFood Project, which allowed an organised campaign for its use. The app was tested under real customer data and conditions, and selected features have been adopted by the largest supermarket chain on the Island of Crete, Greece. The potential end-user survey results suggest that, provided personal data use issues are addressed, such apps can have a significant impact on reducing household food waste. Future work will focus on analysing the datasets produced by the application to assess its impact on household food waste management.

A systematic review of customer food waste and understanding the household wasteful performance structure

The term customer food waste refers to the uneaten portions of meals left over from home or restaurant dining. Waste food is expired, spoiled, or thrown away. To prevent food waste in households, it is vital to understand patterns like overbuying, incorrect storage, and overcooking. To gain a better understanding of the numerous aspects of food waste, we executed a systematic review of 40 academic publications published between 2019 and 2023. Analyzing Customer food waste behavior, delving deeply into household food waste patterns, introducing other explanatory structures for understanding household food waste, and investigating the causes for food waste are some topics covered in this review, according to the analysis of literature reviews, which included the assessment of three distinct types of industries, namely, houses, hospitals, hotels, and restaurants it was discovered that the domestic sector generates the most significant amount of food wastage in comparison to the industry and the hospital industry. The result concludes to reduce customer food waste, one must understand Customer behavior, socioeconomic inequities, and cultural beliefs that influence eating habits. To understand home wasting performances dynamic nature, longitudinal and empirical studies are needed. Political, intellectual, and stakeholder collaboration may lead to long-term food waste and ecologically aware of society solutions.

Analysis Of Behavioral Determinants Preventing Food Waste in Consumers Based on the Theory Of Planned Behavior (TPB) Mediated By Behavior Intention

The hospitality industry is one of the largest sources of food waste, accounting for 17% of total food waste and more than two-thirds of avoidable food waste. Due to an increase in the trend of eating out driven by increased incomes and tourism, food waste in hospitality services is affecting the world. It has a significant impact on developed and developing countries. This is a major challenge for the hospitality industry. Using survey data from 230 respondents, researchers processed the data to analyse the influence between variables using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) AMOS application. The results showed that Subjective Norm (SN), Perceived Behavior Control (PBC), and Moral Norm (MN) had a significant positive effect on Behavior Intention (BI). Behavior Intention (BI) also has a significant positive effect on Food Waste Behavior (FW). In addition, subjective Norms (SN), perceived behaviour control (PBC), and moral norms (MN) also have a significant positive effect on food waste behaviour (FW). The Behavior Intention (BI) variable can mediate the influence between the Perceived Behavior Control (PBC) and Moral Norm (MN) variables with the Food Waste Behavior (FW) variable. While Attitude Towards Behavior (ATT) does not have a significant effect on Behavior Intention (BI) and Food Waste Behavior (FW). In addition, Behavior Intention (BI) cannot mediate the influence between Attitude Towards Behavior (ATT) and Subject Norm (SN) variables on Food Waste Behavior (FW).

The concept of food waste and food loss prevention and measuring tools.

Food waste (FW) has become a global concern, with an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes lost annually, costing about $1 trillion. Environmental and social consequences of FW are significant, contributing to 6% of European Unions' greenhouse gasemissions and affecting global food security. FW occurs is a complex issue occurring at various stages of the food supply chain (FSC) and is influenced by multiple factors such as infrastructure, available knowledge and socio-economic conditions. Developed countries FW is more prevalent at the consumption stage, whereas in the developing countries losses occur in agricultural production, post-harvest and distribution stage. Accurate quantification of FW across the supply chain is crucial and monitoring key performance indicators helps identify areas for improvement. The European Union mandates FW measurement, aligning with sustainable development goals, emphasizing the need for effective waste prevention measures. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses approach was utilized to conduct a systematic literature review on FW key performance indicators (KPIs) and monitoring tools. The research identified 22 KPIs, categorized into three levels of the FSC: primary, secondary and tertiary. The most common KPIs included FW per capita, FW per portion and FW percentage. The study further discusses FW prevention measures and essential monitoring tools for addressing FW throughout the supply chain.

Sustainable messaging strategies and consumer food waste: The congruence effect between message framing and state anxiety

Food waste has emerged as a significant global concern, exacerbated by the consistent rise in waste despite numerous attempts to mitigate it. As crucial information disseminators, food retailers and restaurants possess the potential to significantly impact consumers' food-saving behavior through meticulous design and effective dissemination of informational messaging strategies. Based on the Limited Capacity model of Motivated Mediated Message Processing, this study attempts to develop a conceptual model to assess the impact of message framing strategies on consumers' food saving intention, considering their varying levels of state anxiety. Three experiments were conducted to verify the hypotheses. The results revealed a matching effect between message framing and state anxiety on food savings. When businesses utilize sustainable advertisements to encourage food savings, approach-framed messages are more effective among consumers with heightened state anxiety, whereas avoidance framing demonstrates superior effectiveness among those with lower levels of state anxiety. Additionally, evaluative self-reactions mediate these matching effects, and memory efficacy plays a significant moderating role. The findings facilitate marketers in the proper employment of targeted message framing strategies based on consumers' varying levels of anxiety to prevent food waste.

The FOODRUS index: Assessing suitability for effective food loss and waste prevention management under an integral perspective

The impact of food loss and waste (FLW) generation on food supply chains' (FSC) sustainability represents a challenge embodied in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3. This problem requires a methodology to measure such an impact in a rigorous, holistic, and standardized way that can be applied to any FSC. This paper aims to develop and validate a single index to assess the readiness of FSCs to implement FLW prevention strategies and measure their impact: the so-called FOODRUS index. The co-creation methodology followed incorporates experts and FSC stakeholders feedback. The index has been validated in 3 FSCs: The Slovak pilot scored 74.35%, the Spanish pilot reached 68.79%, and the Danish pilot was rated 61.14%. Its calculation, eased by the FOODRUS index self-assessment tool (described in the Appendix), allows quick diagnosis of the FSC capability to implement FLW prevention strategies considering both the knowledge provided by experts and the experience of the FSC stakeholders that participated in its co-creation process. In this way the FSC can assess its FLW prevention performance at a strategic and management level, with the aim of improving its sustainability impact.

Ethical consumption and food recovery hierarchy behaviors: a clustering analysis in Japan

AbstractConsumption and waste disposal decisions can have a profound impact on the environment. The present research is focused on understanding the adoption profiles of pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) within the Japanese population. The scope of the evaluated PEB covered the purchase, usage, and disposal of food products. Ethical consumption behaviors (the purchase of little packaging, organic, eco-friendly and/or refillable goods), food waste prevention actions (leftovers avoidance, meal planning, and food waste reduction/avoidance), and alternative disposal measures (feeding animals, composting, giving food to neighbors) were analyzed. The profiles were found via a two-step clustering technique using self-reported data from a survey done in nine Japanese prefectures. The first step of the clustering algorithm comprised a hierarchical technique, and the second was a K-means with an Euclidean distance. Four significantly distinct clusters were found, namely: sporadic adopters, average practitioners, responsible consumers, and environmentally involved. Approximately 51% of the sample was allocated to the responsible consumers cluster, which was characterized by having more women in part-time jobs or in-house duties and older respondents than the other groups. Environmentally involved tended to be young respondents with children and gardening/farming interest. They were also the ones who ate plant-based meals more frequently and had healthier eating habits.

Review of On-Farm Food Waste and Loss

The global challenge of food waste has gained increasing attention in recent years, highlighted by Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 to halve global food waste by 2030. On-farm practices are pivotal in influencing the amount of food lost before it reaches consumers. It is estimated globally that 15% of food is wasted before it leaves the farm. This project conducts a review of existing tools, technologies, management practices, and strategies designed to prevent, minimise, and manage on-farm food waste. This project is in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor to support them with their upcoming report on food waste prevention.
 Supervised by: Jacques de Satgé, Miranda Mirosa, Grace Clare

Food Waste Initiatives Across Tertiary Sectors in the Pacific Region

Preventing food waste is becoming a global priority, with approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food wasted annually contributing to 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. The United Nations has established the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 12.3, aiming to halve food waste by 2050. Pacific nations are at risk of becoming food insecure, due in part to their hot climate and limited resources to store food properly. This research paper investigates food waste initiatives at universities across the Pacific region. The aim of this project was to identify current proactive measures addressing food waste, assess the effectiveness of existing initiatives, and pinpoint actions that could enhance sustainable food consumption. This project involved both primary and secondary data collection, to investigate the practices of 34 universities from 17 islands in the Pacific Region.
 Supervised by: Miranda Mirosa
 Scholarship Project Funded by: Riddet Summer

Auckland Council Food Scraps Project

This research project delves into the complexities of Auckland City Council's food scraps collection rollout, spanning from kerbside collection to the Anaerobic Digestion Facility in Reporoa, Rotorua; where collected food scraps are transformed into environmentally friendly fertilisers and renewable gases. The project comprises two key components: assisting in the creation of a dashboard to display weekly and monthly collection and disposal data to monitor ongoing participation rates and collected tonnage requirements are met; and assisting with the continuation of the food scraps rollout initiative in wider Auckland regions and help increase consumer knowledge and involvement. This is in conjunction of aligning with Auckland Council's aim for zero waste by 2040. The initiative aims to keep food scraps out of landfills, minimising harmful greenhouse gas emissions and return valuable nutrients to the land through biofertiliser production. This project required me to learn about Auckland's circular economy solution which emphasises prevention of food waste, supporting redistribution initiatives, and promoting home and community composting. As part of helping with the rollout and helping create an easy way for residents to separate their food scraps from general rubbish, individuals have gained a raised awareness of wastage, leading to considered meal planning and cost savings. The government's commitment to nationwide food scraps services by 2030 underscores the urgency of sustainable waste management practices which it why it was crucial for me to be familiar with the whole process and sectors within the rollout to assist Auckland Council to meet this commitment. This project has also meant that I was able to understand the whole process of the Anaerobic Digestion Facility's innovative technology which processes organic material into biogas and nutrient-liquid fertiliser, contributing to New Zealand's sustainability goals. Through comprehensive monitoring and filtration systems, the facilities uphold environmental standards while pioneering large-scale food scraps processing in the country.
 Supervised by: Sarah Nicholls
 Scholarship Project Funded by: Auckland City Council

Improving supply chain planning for perishable food: data-driven implications for waste prevention

Waste in the perishable food supply chain is a challenge that data-driven forecasting methods can tackle. However, integrating such methods in supply chain planning requires development efforts. In this regard, understanding user expectations is the first development step. This study scrutinizes the expectations of a data-driven forecasting method for perishable food. The intended development is a joint initiative of a consortium containing three perishable grocery handling firms. Besides planning expectations, the study identifies and ranks demand-sensing factors that can enable data-driven forecasting for food waste prevention. As the participating firms compete in the same region, horizontal collaboration implications are additionally explored in this context. Accordingly, the study extracts relevant performance measures parallelized to food waste. A two-round Delphi study is used to collect the expectations from a data-driven forecasting method. Individual semi-structured interviews with experts from the initiative firms are conducted in the first Delphi round. Based on the extracted propositions in each interview, industrial experts jointly readdressed and ranked the extracted propositions in the second Delphi round, i.e., focus group workshop. The results reveal that the perishability characteristic emerges as a common expectation in linking supply chain planning with data-driven forecasting. This empirical study contributes to the research on supply chain forecasting and addresses the pertinent aspects of developing data-driven approaches to prevent food waste.

Evaluating localized conceptions and embedded applications of the Food Waste Hierarchy in luxury hotels

ABSTRACT The Food Waste Hierarchy is a prescriptive framework advocating the use of waste prevention and reuse strategies above less sustainable ones such as recycling, recovery, and disposal. However, its adoption and effective deployment in the tourism and hospitality sector remain questionable. This paper examines hospitality workers’ conceptions and applications of waste hierarchy principles within the context of routine operations to assess the implications of embedded organizational practices for the adoption of optimal approaches. Primary data were collected through documentary analysis, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews at luxury hotels. The data suggest that the Food Waste Hierarchy is not fully understood. Consequently, choices that do not help to maximize environmental benefits are often adopted. Furthermore, various levels of the hierarchy potentially conflict and undermine the implementation of other options. The findings stress that, although the general principles of the waste hierarchy clearly have merits, the application of this framework within tourism and hospitality is likely to be limited by several contextual factors. These factors shape employees’ behaviours and guide organizational routines in hotels that shape the prevention and effective management of food waste.

Cultural influences on the effects of social norm appeals.

This study reports on an experimental test of the effects of descriptive and injunctive norm appeals on intentions to prevent food waste in China and the United States (N = 1449), testing the role of cultural context and group orientation in this process. Results showed that the main effects of descriptive and injunctive norm messages on behavioural intentions were mediated by normative perceptions, and cultural context moderated both paths of this mediation. Specifically, with the same message exposure, Chinese participants perceived food waste prevention as more prevalent and socially approved compared to US participants. Normative perceptions interacted with cultural context to influence behavioural intentions, such that both descriptive and injunctive norm perceptions predicted stronger intentions to prevent food waste among Chinese participants compared to Americans. Group orientation yielded a main effect on behavioural intentions, instead of the moderation effects as expected. Findings suggest the need for culturally grounded and contextualized approaches to communication of social norms, as well as building cultural concepts into theories of social norms. This article is part of the theme issue 'Social norm change: drivers and consequences'.

Digital Technologies for Food Loss and Waste Prevention and Reduction in Agri-Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Digital Technologies for Food Loss and Waste Prevention and Reduction in Agri-Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

FOOD WASTE PREVENTION SOLUTIONS IN THE NONFINANCIAL REPORTS OF ROMANIAN FOOD RETAILERS

The research delves into the non-financial reports of Romanian food retailers, shedding light on the solutions adopted to prevent food waste. The research is focused on six of the biggest food retailers in Romania and their last two public sustainability reports from 2020 and 2021. By analyzing the reports, the research uncovers the most important strategies, measures and innovations implemented to help reduce wastage in the food retail sector in Romania. The findings of the study point towards a growing awareness and commitment among Romanian food retailers towards sustainable business strategies and food waste management strategies.

Concentration-tuned diverse response to selective biogenic amines using a reusable fluorophore: monitoring protein-rich food spoilage.

Maintaining the freshness of food is essential for a healthy and quality life. Nevertheless, it remains a global challenge. Hence, an easy detection and monitoring protocol would be highly desirable. A cyanoacrylic acid (CAA)-based fluorophore is manifested as a reusable platform that responds diversely against different concentrations of selective aliphatic biogenic amines (BAs) in both solution and vapor phases. Slow spoilage of the protein-rich food is progressively monitored through emission shifts visible to the naked eye. This fluorophore provides easy and naked-eye detection of the BA vapor through a change in emission, i.e., red → orange → orange-yellow → cyan → green and quantum yield enhancement, which occur in stepwise increments of vapor concentrations. The probe design includes π-conjugated functionalized fluorescent molecules linked to multiple twisting sites, resulting in both solid and solution-state emission. The attached carboxylic acid responds quickly with selective BAs, mainly putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD), and spermidine (SPM), where the concentration-based emission variation has appeared to be distinct and prominent against PUT [sensitivity (μM): 2 (solution); 3.3 (vapour)]. The selectivity towards diamine can be clarified by the formation of carboxylic acid salts and the consequent proton exchanges between free and protonated amines. In addition, -CN···H interaction is likely to develop within this ammonium carboxylate system, providing extra stability. Such ammonium carboxylate salt formation and gradual change in the molecular arrangement, resulting in symmetry development, are validated by FT-IR and wide-angle X-ray diffraction studies. Besides, this fact is supported by DFT studies that validate intramolecular H-atom exchange between free amine and ammonium salt units. A fluorophore-coated coverslip, filter paper, or silica gel-coated Al-plate is fruitfully utilized to detect the freshness of fish and chicken, which reveals the potential of this probe to prevent food waste and control food safety.

Comparative analysis of food waste laws in Singapore and Japan: an examination of legal frameworks in hope of achieving Singapore’s zero-waste vision

This article compares food waste laws in Singapore and Japan and analyses similarities and differences in their legal approaches to minimizing food waste across the food supply chain. The research undertaken demonstrates that although there is broad alignment in many aspects of the two countries’ food waste recycling laws, the specific requirements differ significantly due to each country’s unique circumstances. This has given rise to implementation issues that hamper large-scale food waste recycling in Singapore. These issues encompass, inter alia, the law’s limited applicability to food-related establishments and the lack of clarity regarding acceptable output from food waste treatment processes. Moreover, Singapore does not have a separate law targeted at avoiding food loss, a potentially more effective approach that is aligned with the food waste hierarchy. However, Japan’s experience demonstrates that, even with a law in place, success in food waste prevention typically relies on voluntary efforts and strong public engagement. Based on these findings, the article concludes that Singapore’s existing food waste law can contribute to a certain extent the achievement of its ‘zero-waste’ vision.

Quantitative Analysis of Household Food Waste Collection in Warsaw: Assessing Efficiency and Waste Minimization

Food waste management is one of the key challenges of the circular economy and climate transition policies. The proper collection of food waste is the starting point for its further value recovery. Most of the quantitative and qualitative data used to measure the scale of food waste in households and its collection are based on statistical data, diaries, and questionnaires. There is a visible gap in research in terms of the use of direct research methods. This paper presents the results of a quantitative research study on household food waste accumulation and collection in Warsaw from two sources: single-family and multi-family households. The results of the study indicate that in Warsaw households, one can expect generation at the level of 33.4 kg·capita−1·year−1 of avoidable food waste and 38.2 kg·capita−1·year−1 of unavoidable food waste. The average food waste collection rate from households in Warsaw was determined to be at a level of 19.6 kg·capita−1·year−1. In multi-family buildings, which are dominant in Warsaw, this rate is half as pronounced (17.3 kg·capita−1·year−1) compared to single-family buildings (36.2 kg·capita−1·year−1). The average food waste collection efficiency rate from Warsaw households was at a level of 32%. Avoidable food waste accounted for 47% of all food waste generated. The study indicates a growing need to develop policy tools to support the separate collection and prevention of food waste.

Digitally enabled food sharing platforms towards effective waste management in a circular economy: A system dynamics simulation model

As a solution to tackle the food waste (FW) challenge, digitally enabled food sharing platforms (FSPs) are emerging as FW warriors and anti-waste social movements. Despite the rapidly growing number of users, the amount of FW prevented per user in these platforms is relatively low. Hence, the real contribution of FSPs to the circular economy (CE) by preventing FW is still blurred. To fill this gap, a System Dynamics simulation model is developed in this research to unfold how people adopt such platforms over time, and how such platforms contribute to the CE through FW prevention. The model is used to simulate the adoption and performance of Italy's Too Good To Go (TGTG) platform spanning 2015-2060 as a reference case. The results show that although TGTG is a successful FSP in terms of adoption, it can still significantly improve in terms of performance. Besides, while the current TGTG's marketing strategy is effective, knowledge-enhancing activities should be strengthened to improve performance. Hence, this research recommends a winning policy, which can reduce approximately 3% of the total FW generated at the country level (Italy) in 2060, a significant contribution to the CE transition.