scholarly journals The potential of food preservation to reduce food waste

2016 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Martindale
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Universal Function ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Frozen Foods ◽  
Frozen Food ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Consumer Movements

While we state it seems unthinkable to throw away nearly a third of the food we produce, we still continue to overlook that we are all very much part of this problem because we all consume meals. The amount of food wasted clearly has an impact on our view of what we think a sustainable meal is and our research suggests food waste is a universal function that can help us determine the sustainability of diets. Achieving sustainability in food systems depends on the utilisation of both culinary skills and knowledge of how foods make meals. These are overlooked by the current food waste debate that is concerned with communicating the problem with food waste rather than solutions to it. We aim to change this oversight with the research presented here that demonstrates the need to consider the role of food preservation to reduce food waste and the requirement for new marketing terms associated with sustainability actions that can be used to stimulate changes in consumption behaviours. We have chosen frozen food to demonstrate this because our research has shown that the use of frozen foods results in 47 % less household food waste than fresh food categories. This has created a step-change in how we view food consumption and has stimulated consumer movements that act across different products and supply chains to enable the consumption of the sustainable meal.

Using consumer surveys to determine food sustainability

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (7) ◽  
pp. 1194-1204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Martindale
Keyword(s):  
Food Service ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Frozen Foods ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frozen Food ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Consumer Surveys ◽  
Meal Planning ◽  
Assess Quality

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to define the sustainability attributes of frozen and fresh food consumption in a typical household. The reason for writing this paper is that food preservation is often overlooked when developing sustainability strategies. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses established carbon footprint data for specific food types and consumer survey data to determine how consumers use fresh and frozen products in the home. Consumption and waste data for 83 households was obtained using a combination of narrative and graphical association questions. Findings – The results show greenhouse gas emissions associated with a diets containing frozen food are reduced because 47 per cent less frozen foods is wasted as compared to fresh foods with a typical household wasting 10.4 per cent of fresh food and 5.9 per cent frozen food. Research limitations/implications – This research has highlighted the importance of understanding the waste impacts of catering and food service consumption outside the home. Practical implications – This research will guide future product development for frozen foods with regard to dietary planning and portion control. Social implications – The cost and sustainability benefits of meal planning are identified and these will inform policy making and education to improve dietary choices. Originality/value – This work extends the scope of current consumer surveys that assess quality, value and taste attributes to sustainability criteria and it will enable collaboration between fresh and frozen product categories to deliver sustainable dietary options.

scholarly journals Role of Seaweed in Diets of Samoa and Kiribati: Exploring Key Motivators for Consumption

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7356
Author(s):  
Hayley Butcher ◽  
Sarah Burkhart ◽  
Nicholas Paul ◽  
Ulusapeti Tiitii ◽  
Karibanang Tamuera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Pacific Islanders ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Value For Money ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fresh Food ◽  
Green Seaweed ◽  
Strong Agreement

Edible seaweeds have significant potential to contribute to sustainable diets that promote health of Pacific Islanders in ecologically, economically, and socially acceptable ways. No studies to date have investigated motivators for and the consumption of edible green seaweed from the genus Caulerpa (sea grapes) in Samoa and Kiribati. An observational, cross-sectional study utilized an interviewer-administered questionnaire to explore consumption behaviors and the role of sea grapes in the current diets of individuals in Samoa and Kiribati. Of the total 145 participants (n = 79, 54.5% Samoa; n = 66, 45.5% Kiribati), half (n = 76, 52%) reported consuming sea grapes. A significantly greater proportion of Samoans (n = 56, 70.9%) reported consumption than I-Kiribati participants (n = 20, 30.3%). A greater proportion of consumers were male (n = 47, 61.8%). Samoan consumers reported consumption of sea grapes with a higher diversity of foods and being related to traditional events or ceremonies. Motivators for consumption varied between countries, with Samoan consumers reporting strong agreement for taste and value for money, and identified sea grapes as nutritious food, as influences on consumption. Easy access was a motivator in Kiribati only. The findings of this study are underpinned by the degree of food security and differences in culture in Samoa and Kiribati. Future public health efforts to integrate traditional fresh food into local food systems will need to work within the existing social parameters in each respective country.

scholarly journals The role of reducing food waste for resilient food systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 101140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojana Bajželj ◽  
Thomas E. Quested ◽  
Elin Röös ◽  
Richard P.J. Swannell
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems

scholarly journals Consumer Movements and Value Regimes: Fighting Food Waste in Germany by Building Alternative Object Pathways

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna F Gollnhofer ◽  
Henri A Weijo ◽  
John W Schouten
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Food Sector ◽  
Consumer Movement ◽  
Market Governance ◽  
Movement Strategy ◽  
New Type ◽  
Consumer Movements ◽  
Retail Food

Abstract Consumer movements strive to change markets when those markets produce value outcomes that conflict with consumers’ higher-order values. Prior studies argue that consumer movements primarily seek to challenge these value outcomes by championing alternative higher-order values or by pressuring institutions to change market governance mechanisms. Building on and refining theorization on value regimes, this study illuminates a new type of consumer movement strategy where consumers collaborate to construct alternative object pathways. The study draws from ethnographic fieldwork in the German retail food sector and shows how building alternative object pathways allowed a consumer movement to mitigate the value regime’s excessive production of food waste. The revised value regime theorization offers a new and more holistic way of understanding and contextualizing how and where consumer movements mobilize for change. It also provides a new tool for understanding systemic value creation and the role of consumers in such processes.

Wasted Positive Intentions: The Role of Affection and Abundance on Household Food Waste

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 733-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo Porpino ◽  
Brian Wansink ◽  
Juracy Parente
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Household Food

scholarly journals Preserving stories, preserving food:

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tammara Soma ◽  
Jayda Wilson ◽  
Molly Mackay ◽  
Yuting Cao
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Economic Problem ◽  
Food Preservation ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Wicked Problem ◽  
Food Literacy ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
The Relationship

Worldviews, cultures, spirituality, and history not only influence how societies define “food” and “waste”, they also shape how we consume food and the relationship we have with the broader food system. While food waste has emerged as a global concern and a complex “wicked problem” that impacts stakeholders at all scales of operations, the issue is often framed as an environmental and economic problem, and less so as a social problem. As the food waste literature expands at a rapid pace, there is still a dearth of studies that focus on cultural and intergenerational approaches to food preservation and food waste reduction. This exploratory study emerged from an upper-year research-based course entitled Building Sustainable Food Systems (REM 363- now REM 357) at Simon Fraser University and offers three vignettes through intergenerational and multicultural interviews from Siksika First Nation (Canada), Pakistan and China. Students from the class explored the roles of intergenerational storytelling and informal learning by conducting key informant interviews with close relatives to document traditional food preservation techniques.  This study created a transformative intergenerational and multicultural bonding opportunity, which allowed students to better understand their relationships to food, culture, and their relatives. The students also documented how the relationship to food has changed over time. Findings from the study suggest that intergenerational storytelling can help reduce food waste by increasing food literacy, improving cultural connections, and raising awareness about alternative worldviews that challenge the commoditization of food.

scholarly journals Such a Shame! A Study on Self-Perception of Household Food Waste

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Falasconi ◽  
Clara Cicatiello ◽  
Silvio Franco ◽  
Andrea Segrè ◽  
Marco Setti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Food Shopping ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Awareness Raising ◽  
Main Determinants

Reducing food waste is globally considered as a key challenge in developing sustainable food systems. Although most food waste is generated at the household level, consumers hardly recognize their responsibility, and the factors underpinning their perception of the quantity of food wasted at home are still unclear. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing the results of a large-scale survey conducted in Italy. The perceived quantity of household food waste was measured through a Likert scale and analyzed by means of a logistic regression against a set of predictors, including food waste motivations, perception of the effects of food waste, and sociodemographic variables. As expected, the perceived quantity of food waste declared by respondents was very low. Among the main determinants, food shopping habits and the level of awareness about the reasons why food is wasted played a key role. In contrast, the perception of the environmental effects of food waste seemed to be less important. Differences among subsamples recruited in different areas of Italy were detected, suggesting that further studies, as well as awareness-raising policies, should also consider context-related variables.

scholarly journals Decisional Factors Driving Household Food Waste Prevention: Evidence from Taiwanese Families

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6666
Author(s):  
Chih-Ching Teng ◽  
Chueh Chih ◽  
Yao-Chin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Moral Norms ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Household Food

Although previous studies have discussed food waste at the household level and the antecedents of food disposal in western countries, very few studies have investigated food waste practices in Asian countries at the household or individual levels. As the food waste issue has drawn considerable concerns, the aim of this study was to examine how moral norms, perceived behavioral control, and food choices affect household food waste under the mediating role of household storing and cooking routines, as well as the moderating role of unplanned events. A questionnaire survey of Taiwanese families eventually obtained 954 valid questionnaires for analysis. Overall model fit and the study hypotheses were tested by structural equation modeling method (SEM). The SEM results showed that household storing and cooking routines significantly mediate the effects of moral norms and food choices on household food waste. Moreover, the moderating effect of unplanned events is statistically significant, indicating that under a higher degree of unplanned events, families are less likely to reduce food waste through household storage practices and cooking routines. Several implications and suggestions are also discussed for the reduction of household food waste.

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