Food waste is a significant issue in today's society, and it is essential to understand factors influencing consumer attitudes and perceptions towards suboptimal food products. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the impact of a “zero waste” label on consumer attitudes and perceptions towards suboptimal food products compared to optimal and suboptimal ones with and without the label. Online surveys with a total sample of 1,034 consumers were used in the research. The results showed that the addition of a “zero waste” label had significant impact on consumer attitudes and perceptions towards suboptimal food products, with no significant difference observed between attitudes and perceptions towards optimal and zero waste-labeled ones.Furthermore, it was found that consumers with higher ecological concern showed significant differences in attitudes and willingness to buy between optimal and suboptimal products, but these differences disappeared with the addition of the “zero waste” label. In contrast, consumers with low ecological concern showed significant differences in attitudes and willingness to buy between optimal and suboptimal products, even with the “zero waste” label. These findings suggest that policymakers and food producers could focus on increasing consumer awareness regarding the issue of food waste to reduce negative attitudes towards suboptimal food. Additionally, the results provide valuable insights for practitioners on how to promote suboptimal products and reduce food waste.