Food waste: an exploratory investigation of causes, practices and consequences perceived by Brazilian supermarkets and restaurants

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eluiza Alberto de Morais Watanabe ◽  
Caroline Rodrigues do Nascimento ◽  
Michele Gasparoto Moreira Teixeira de Freitas ◽  
Mayra Monteiro Viana
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Food Packaging ◽  
Demand Forecasting ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meal Preparation ◽  
Perceived Consequences ◽  
Self Service

PurposeSustainable food consumption is crucial to protect the environment and to promote a better quality of life. Our study analyses and compares the causes, perceived consequences of food waste and practices to mitigate it in supermarkets and restaurants.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted 17 semi-structured interviews with managers or other responsible persons with mastery of information about food waste of restaurants (self-service and à la carte) and supermarkets. The data were analysed via thematic content analysis.FindingsThe leading causes of food waste for the interviewed supermarkets and restaurants were improper handling by the staff, ineffective stock control management and lack of employee training. Supermarkets perceived other causes such as inadequate food packaging, refrigeration and temperature issues and dishonesty of carriers. The perceived consequences of food waste were mainly related to the economic aspect. Regarding adopting practices to reduce waste, some highlights are employee training, waste management by a specialized employee, assertive demand forecasting, meal preparation in the store and food donation. Just the supermarkets employ price reduction as a practice to reduce food waste. We concluded that, in general, supermarkets perceive more causes for waste than restaurants but do not necessarily present practices to mitigate these additional causes.Originality/valueThis research expanded the scope of studies about food waste and reveals procedures that those in charge can implement to reduce food waste. Our study analysed the causes, practices and consequences of food waste in two types of food channels (supermarkets and restaurants, in different formats). The literature does not clearly disclose aspects assigned to different food marketing channels, especially in emerging economies.

Addressing food loss and waste prevention

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Burcu Kör ◽  
Adriana Krawczyk ◽  
Ingrid Wakkee
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Household Consumption ◽  
Resource Scarcity ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Waste Prevention ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Loss

PurposeFood waste is one of the most challenging issues humanity is currently facing. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in the prevention of food waste because of world hunger, environmental impacts, resource scarcity and economic costs. The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that influence food waste and the role of technology in tackling food waste in India and the Netherlands.Design/methodology/approachIn order to explore differences in food loss and waste further this study will examine a number of practices on both the production and the consumer side, in a developing country and a developed country with different culture/economic backgrounds: India and the Netherlands. The factors that influence food waste were examined with a preliminary qualitative study, which consists of semi-structured interviews, and quantitative research that comprises a survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in both India and the Netherlands, which consists of five interviews. The survey data was collected from 78 individuals from India and 115 individuals from the Netherlands.FindingsOne of the main findings of the research is food waste is divided into waste within agricultural production (i.e. food loss) and final household consumption (i.e. food waste). Different factors influence food loss in different stages in the supply chain. Some of these factors include wastage during processing, storage, transportation and at the market-place. New technologies can utilize food loss for new purposes, so food loss is reduced to the minimum. Food waste is mainly influenced by food passing expiry date, food that is left too long in the fridge and consumers buying too much food. In final household consumption, technologies such as digital platforms enable individuals or organizations to share and donate their food, thereby creating awareness on food waste prevention and the environmental and ethical benefits.Originality/valueThe authors examine to what extent and in which ways supporting consumers to minimize food waste can be achieved via three stages: (1) understanding and evaluating food loss and waste, (2) identifying the factors that influence food loss and waste, (3) understanding consumer behaviors to encourage food waste reduction and (4) identifying the technological impact that would reduce food waste. As such, this paper contributes to ongoing debates about food waste by looking at the role of context and culture and by exploring differences between developed and developing countries. Also, the authors advance the debate by exploring both the role of advanced technology such as blockchain and drones in both preventing loss and waste as well as non-technological mechanisms.

Exploring persuasive sales techniques to improve customer acceptance of sustainable but unfamiliar menu in restaurants

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris He Cai ◽  
Anni Ding ◽  
Tiffany Shin Legendre
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Food Aversion ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Acceptance ◽  
Unfamiliar Food ◽  
Sales Strategies

Purpose Although restauranteurs hope to incorporate offal or variety meat, in the menu as an attempt to reduce food waste, adopting these ingredients is still challenging due to customer rejections. This study aims to propose potential persuasive sales strategies based on customers’ different information sources to increase organ meat-based menu sales for restaurateurs. Design/methodology/approach In this research, a qualitative study was conducted to identify critical factors that show persuasive effects from external, interpersonal and experiential information sources. A total of 20 in-depth expert interviews with professional chefs and restauranteurs were conducted and key persuasive service tactics were analyzed. Findings From their experience of persuading customers to try unusual foods, insights about how to alleviate unfamiliar food aversion were obtained. The findings of this study showed that different persuasive sales tactics can be implemented to decrease customers’ aversion to offal and offcuts on menus. Research limitations/implications The context of offal is meaningful theoretically because it sheds light on the literature gaps related to persuasive sales strategies for food products with a negative social stigma. Practically, the findings of this study explicitly address that offal usage in restaurants can not only encourage the culinary uniqueness of a restaurant but also contribute to the reduction of food waste by foodservice operations. Originality/value This research answers the calls for more research on sustainable food sources in hospitality literature by proposing offal as a potential alternative protein source. The findings of this study can further be used to improve customer acceptance of other sustainable but unfamiliar food items.

Food waste measurement toward a fair, healthy and environmental-friendly food system: a critical review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Amicarelli ◽  
Christian Bux
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Food System ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Measurement Methodology ◽  
Author Keywords

PurposeGiven the importance of food waste in the economic, social, health and environmental dimensions, the purpose of this work is to detect, through a systematic and configurative literature review on food-waste-measurement methodologies, the global approaches, characteristics, limitations, opportunities and results applied within the literature. The analysis of these papers provides useful information about how far we are from international action plans and, therefore, how we need to direct programs and policies to measure and reduce food waste and ensure food security and food safety.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have conducted a systematic, configurative literature review on food waste measurement methodologies applied only within empirical studies published in academic peer-reviewed scientific journals. Based on the Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597 of May 3, 2019 (OJEU, 2019) regarding common methodologies and minimum quality requirements for the homogeneous assessment of food waste quantities and composition, the authors investigated the issue on Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) from June 2000 to June 2020. The authors researched keywords within article titles, abstracts and author keywords by utilizing 34 different research strings.FindingsThe proposed review particularly refers to following topics: measurement methodologies applied according to the Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2019/1597; editorial placement and publication timeline; geographical area; food supply-chain stage and publication journals; and the main features, limitations, opportunities and results for each measurement methodology as presented by authors. Among the first 48,000 results, only 58 academic articles are perfectly in line with the aim of the review, highlighting the lack of standardized methodologies, the limits of those proposed and the deficiency of comparable results to achieve sustainable international goals.Originality/valueThe proposed review is one of the few concerning food waste measurement methodologies. Food waste measurement is essential to rebalance the actual inadequate food system and to switch it toward a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly one, thereby (1) managing the human nutrition system paradox of hungry, undernourished and over-weight people; (2) reducing food insecurity; (3) ensuring each living being's access to healthy, nutritious and sustainable food; and (4) reducing environmental impacts (neutral or positive impact) and the loss of biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

scholarly journals Introducing artificial intelligence into a human resources function

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-130
Author(s):  
Wilfried Niehueser ◽  
George Boak
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Similar Work ◽  
A Company

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of employees in a company dedicated to strategic recruitment towards the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into their work processes and to consider the implications for training and development. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven employees who were using the new technology. Survey data was gathered from 109 employees who had not, at the time of the research, used the new technology. Findings The introduction of AI considerably improved the speed and efficiency of the work processes. The research found that those employees who had used the new technology were positive about its effects, indicating that it was easy to use, robust and highly productive. A proportion of employees who had not, at the time of the research, used the new system, were less sure that it would improve their ability to do their job. Implications for introducing such a system and for employee training are discussed. Research limitations/implications This is a relatively small sample in one organisation; further research should be undertaken to assess whether these findings apply more widely. Practical implications If these attitudes are found elsewhere, there are a number of simple, practical suggestions for how to introduce AI into similar work processes. Originality/value The use of AI is a topic attracting increasing interest and speculation, but there is as yet little empirical research on factors affecting its introduction and use.

Kiosks as self-service technology in hotels: opportunities and challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanika Gupta ◽  
Sanjay Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Human Interaction ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hospitality Sector ◽  
Self Service ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
Hotel Managers ◽  
Technology Anxiety

Purpose The advent of technology has played a crucial role in changing the landscape of the hospitality sector. One such technology is the adoption and installation of kiosks in hotels. While some of the hotels have adopted and installed kiosks for self-services, the other hotels are still not very comfortable with the idea of self-service. This paper aims to explore the possibilities, challenges and issues that hoteliers face while dealing with self-service kiosks, it further investigates the customer’s perspective and its benefits to the end-user. Design/methodology/approach This study has assimilated data from hotel managers and executives that have deployed kiosks. This study involved the collection of primary data through structured interviews. Eight different hotels from the UK and India have been compared and analyzed to formulate subcategories to answer the research questions. A total of 200 customers from both the countries were approached to get the primary data; the customers were from the same hotel where the hotel executives and managers were interviewed. Findings The customers accepted Kiosks as easy to use, fast to run, fun to operate, but, lacking human interaction and counter language issues were simultaneously discussed. Kiosks have been emerging as self-service technologies in hotels and play a key role in reducing bottlenecks in hotel operations. The technology anxiety and counter service argument is merely a transition phase that will fade away gradually. However, the financial feasibility and the level of adoption depend upon the level of operations and the demographic characteristics of customers. Research limitations/implications The dependence of data from the person interviewed and their biases for answers, along with the trust and credibility of the data available online remain the biggest challenge. Increasing the sample size and more participation from different hotels would have made the study even more useful. Originality/value The research seeks to eliminate the gap in research by studying both the hotels' and the customers' perspective toward kiosks deployment in hotels. The results of the study would highlight the potential challenges being faced by hotel operations and opportunities they perceive in kiosks installation, therefore the results are very useful for hotels, hoteliers, academicians and students pursuing a career in the hospitality sector.

Food waste management: an example from university refectory

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gülmüş Börühan ◽  
Melisa Ozbiltekin-Pala
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Plate Waste ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Solutions ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Effect Of Food ◽  
Precautionary Measures ◽  
The University

PurposeThe study analysed the amount of plate waste in a university refectory in Izmir, Turkey to find ways of minimizing plate waste in the university, providing sustainability and contributing to the development of circular economy and raising awareness about the plate waste problem.Design/methodology/approachObservation and semi-structured interviews were used to determine the volume of plate waste and level of awareness of academicians, students and administrative staff and suggest sustainable solutions for food waste in university refectories. The data gained from the semi-structured interviews were analysed with qualitative analysis software (MAXQDA®).FindingsPlate waste in the university's refectories is increasing due to the lack of precautionary measures. Academicians, students and administrative staff all showed low awareness rates.Originality/valueThis study is original in investigating theoretically and empirically one of the main reasons for food waste, namely plate waste in mass consumption sites, and evaluating the effect of food waste from an economic, social and environmental perspective.

Reasons for food losses during home preparation

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 574-585
Author(s):  
Maki Nonomura
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gray Area ◽  
Diary Method ◽  
Quality Of Food ◽  
Food Losses

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore reasons for household preparation losses. Design/methodology/approach Observations of preparation behaviors and semi-structured interviews of nine people were conducted in their kitchens. The data were analyzed through a qualitative data analysis method. Findings Three types of preparation losses were identified, i.e. possibly avoidable food waste, excessive removals and unintentional losses. Possibly avoidable food waste and excessive removals were generated owing to people’s perception that is in the gray area between edible and inedible, their preferences, lower quality of food, convenience in preparation, lack of preparation skill and knowledge, and lack of concern about preparation losses. Unintentional losses were tiny pieces of food that were left on cooking tools. Research limitations/implications As this study’s participants were nine women living in Japan, further research is needed in order to achieve saturation. Originality/value Few studies have discussed reasons for preparation losses, and extant studies were based on a diary method and questionnaires. This present study uncovers several new reasons for preparation losses based on interviews and observations of consumer preparation behaviors. These new details would be helpful for campaigns or programs that aim to reduce food losses.

scholarly journals In-between strengthened accessibility and economic demands

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Engström ◽  
Johanna Rivano Eckerdal
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Spheres ◽  
Societal Context ◽  
Self Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the implementation of self-service at public libraries from the perspective of their users. The implementation of self-service is related to a diverse societal context including, for example, an overall digitalisation, budget constraints and political expectations on public libraries to contribute to marketing the local community. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with users and observations have been undertaken at self-service libraries in the south of Sweden. The material is analysed by means of a theoretical framework consisting of previous critical LIS-research, Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis and Habermas’ theory of the colonisation of the life world. Findings The implementation of self-service is affecting the users’ library practices as well as their expectations on the library. These expectations are shaped by various and sometimes competing discourses. Social implications To support public libraries’ role as democratic, public spheres, the complexity of the users’ understandings should be taken into consideration when implementing self-service. Originality/value The differing expectations articulated by the users, and the various discourses they can be related to, implicate a hegemonic struggle, corresponding to a changing view on public libraries.

US consumers’ perceptions of imperfect “ugly” produce

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (11) ◽  
pp. 2666-2682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingxue Jessica Yuan ◽  
Sungpo Yi ◽  
Helena A. Williams ◽  
Oak-Hee Park
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Perspective ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Willingness To Purchase

Purpose Despite the perfect nutritional value of imperfect “ugly” produce, they are either never harvested or discarded, resulting in escalating farm-to-fork food waste problems in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to investigate US consumers’ perceptions of imperfect “ugly” produce and their willingness to purchase and consume these foods in their households. Design/methodology/approach Four focus group sessions with at least five voluntary participants per session were conducted. Each session used structured interview questions and the discussions were led by the same moderator. All sessions were recorded, transcribed and analyzed based on published focus group guidelines and recommendations. Findings The research study has revealed two categories of potential consumers, Influencers and Learners, when it comes to an initial understanding of “ugly” produce consumption. The study also identified nine themes (i.e. food safety, price sensitivity, location of sale, product display, name/label, purpose of use, fun, targeted education and food waste) that consumers hold regarding imperfect “ugly” produce. Research limitations/implications Insights from this study provide strategies for sustainable food management that could help stakeholders along all points of the food chain save money, reduce hunger and diminish food waste in our communities. Originality/value This study serves to provide preliminary insights in approaching the issue of consumers’ perception of imperfect “ugly” fruits and vegetables from a research perspective. Although a limited number of real consumers from the local community participated, their rich and in-depth qualitative responses defined the scope and the defining questions that need further exploration.

scholarly journals Digital food sharing: motivation and practice of sharing in Czechia

Geografie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-287
Author(s):  
Alena Rýparová
Keyword(s):  
Food Waste ◽  
Mobile Applications ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Dynamic Phenomenon ◽  
Digital Form ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Primary Motivation

The article focuses on the topic of sharing food using digital platforms (websites, social media, mobile applications). These activities have been on the rise in Czechia since 2015 and are, therefore, a new and dynamic phenomenon. Digital sharing can make a significant contribution to reducing food waste and making the most of existing resources. First, we will briefly introduce the initiatives in Czechia and then we will focus on those for which the digital form is crucial. Based on semi-structured interviews with the organizers of selected sharing platforms, we will answer what motivations people in Czechia must have to establish these initiatives. We will also show that there is a difference in approach to the topic of food waste and sustainable food consumption between initiators and platform users. While the organizers are usually strongly aware of the need to address the environmental problem of waste, users show so-called quiet sustainability, where they act in an environmentally friendly way without their primary motivation.

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