Putting together the puzzle of consumer food waste: Towards an integral perspective

Roodhuyzen, D.M.A.; Luning, P.A.; Fogliano, Vincenzo; Steenbekkers, L.P.A.

doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2017.07.009

Cited by 203 publications

(183 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…The US consumption is in the range of 120 to 175 g (49). The Union of Organizations of Manufacturers of Pasta Products of the European Union refers to cooked portion sizes between 180 and 220 g (50). In conclusion, the Eetmaatje could be used in other countries but may require small adjustments in portion sizes.…”

Section: Portions In Other Countriesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Development and Evaluation of the Eetmaatje Measuring Cup for Rice and Pasta as an Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

et al. 2020

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Of all of the stages in the supply chain, more food waste comes from households than any other sector. A Dutch composition analysis showed that the solid food waste (including sauces, fats, and dairy products) from household waste amounted to 48.0 kg per person per year (in 2013), of which 5.0 kg consisted of cooked rice and pasta. These two product groups were numbers 1 and 3 in terms of relative waste: 34% of the purchased quantity of rice and 23% of that of pasta was wasted. Using questionnaires, we discovered that Dutch consumers mainly throw away food because they prepare too much of it. The same is true for rice and pasta because they increase greatly in volume when cooked. The water uptake ratio of rice is 2.5 (2.3-2.8) and that of pasta is 1.8 (1.5-2.3), which increases the chances of consumers overestimating portions. In 2013, more than half of the people surveyed did not measure pasta and rice portions. In view of this, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre developed a measuring cup called the Eetmaatje, which is marked with the recommended volumes for Dutch adults for different types of pasta and rice in terms of dry weight. The theoretical reduction of food waste the Eetmaatje provides is calculated to be ∼6% for pasta and 21% for rice, or 12.5% combined. Between 2014 and 2019, more than 1.6 million Eetmaatje cups were distributed for free among Dutch households. Over that period, the measuring of pasta and rice by Dutch households increased. Most people (85-89%) in a panel of consumers who own an Eetmaatje think it is handy or very handy to use. The majority of those in the panel (50-80%) say that they use the Eetmaatje most times when they prepare a meal. Four out of five of those in the panel (77-87%) are convinced that the Eetmaatje helps them waste less pasta and rice. The Eetmaatje functions as a nudge to change cooking behavior and thus food waste behavior. Consumers who measure their pasta using the Eetmaatje self-reported that they produced less total food waste. The measured household waste of cooked rice and pasta seems to show a downward trend since the introduction of the cup. There is strong evidence that the Eetmaatje has increased the number of Dutch households measuring rice and pasta and thereby reducing food waste.

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Section: Portions In Other Countriesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Development and Evaluation of the Eetmaatje Measuring Cup for Rice and Pasta as an Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

et al. 2020

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“…Extant literature on the main motivations that affect Food Waste is limited and fragmented, since it focuses on single or few variables, sometimes assuming behavioural and other times socio-demographic perspectives [27][28][29].…”

Section: Motivations To Food Wastementioning

confidence: 99%

Motivations and Actions to Prevent Food Waste among Young Italian Consumers

et al. 2019

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Food waste is a relevant global problem due to its consequences on food security, economy, and environmental sustainability. This study focuses, in detail, on finding the main motivation for food waste among the young and the principal actions to prevent it. The paper focuses on Italian reality, since Western countries are partly accountable for wasting large amounts of food. What is more, the focus has been shifted specifically on to the youths and young adults, as they are the portion of the population that are most inclined to waste food. Data were collected using a questionnaire survey performed on a sample of n = 904 Italian consumers. In line with previous research, the results of this study confirm that avoidable food waste comes from three main behavioural antecedents: over preparation, excessive purchase, and inappropriate conservation. The research shows that food waste cannot be reduced by just one-way from the consumers; rather, it goes both ways, between consumers and retailers. Therefore, only holding the consumers accountable and expecting them to solve it will not solve the problem of food waste; marketing and retailers should also consider ethics when it comes to food distribution.

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“…The notion of food waste is thus an illuminating example of symbolic construction. In a systematic literature review that lists the different terms and definitions used in 19 scientific sources, Roodhuyzen et al demonstrate that there are nuanced distinctions among different approaches to waste [29]. For example, we may assign the term "waste" to the last stages of the agri-food chain and speak instead of "loss" in reference to the first stages (harvesting and post-harvest).…”

Section: The Retail-consumption Interface and The Social Production Omentioning

confidence: 99%

The Social Production of Food Waste at the Retail-Consumption Interface

Audet

Brisebois

2019

Sustainability

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A major problem throughout the world, food waste is an issue that must be addressed not only by all actors in the agri-food chain but also without a silo mentality. To examine this problem, this article considers the interfaces between the stages of the agri-food chain, by emphasizing the interconnectivity of the different links in the chain, and focusing on the interface between retail distribution and consumption. We show that food waste is socially produced through the interactions and practices of the different actors within food systems. The study presented in this article results from a collaboration research project with two organizations involved in the food waste debate. The data analyzed are derived from an online survey of 1026 Quebec consumers and from 14 semi-directed interviews with retail distribution merchants in the Montreal area, Canada. By identifying, describing and analyzing the consumption and commercial and logistical management practices that contribute to food waste, our analysis demonstrates the existence of four symbolic processes that generate food waste at the retail-consumption interface: the economization of waste, the construction of edibility, the construction of freshness, and the moralization of waste. We argue that these processes should be considered when designing solutions to food waste. This call to consider the interconnectivity of the causes of food waste is particularly important in the field of consumption. Indeed, the major international study on food waste conducted for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) points out that in industrialized countries, 40% of food waste occurs during retail distribution and consumption, but that discarded food is often still fit for consumption [1]. A literature review by Schmidt reports that several studies conducted in Western countries (Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, United States) conclude that households are the chief contributor of food waste and food wastage in general [7]. Such observations tend to place the blame on the consumer, and to build an image of a consumer without conscience or remorse, a participant in the so-called throwaway society [8,9]. Even in research on the causes of waste, approaches that focus on the intrapersonal factors of individual behavior can implicitly reinforce the image of a careless or irrational consumer [10].This article considers the problem of consumption-related waste in light of the concept of the interfaces among the stages of the agri-food chain. By emphasizing the interconnectivity of the different links of the agri-food chain, this concept makes it possible to show that food waste is socially produced through the interactions among and practices of the different actors within food systems. More specifically, the empirical study presented in this article focuses on the interface between retail distribution and consumption. This interface in particular was chosen following the discussions among the researchers and two organizations ...

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Putting together the puzzle of consumer food waste: Towards an integral perspective

Cited by 203 publications

References 46 publications

Development and Evaluation of the Eetmaatje Measuring Cup for Rice and Pasta as an Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

Development and Evaluation of the Eetmaatje Measuring Cup for Rice and Pasta as an Intervention to Reduce Food Waste

Motivations and Actions to Prevent Food Waste among Young Italian Consumers

The Social Production of Food Waste at the Retail-Consumption Interface

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