From: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School
of Public Health, via EurekAlert
Published June 10, 2015 03:44 PM
Americans may waste more food that they think
Most Americans are aware that food waste is a problem, are concerned
about it, and say they work to reduce their own waste, but nearly
three-quarters believe that they waste less food than the national
average, new research suggests.
The findings, from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future
(CLF) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, are
significant given that 31 to 40 percent of the American food supply goes
to waste, primarily in homes, stores and restaurants. The top foods
wasted, by weight, are fruits and vegetables, due in part to their
perishability and bulk. Food waste costs Americans $161.6 billion
annually.
A report on the research is published June 10 in the journal PLOS
ONE.
'Americans perceive themselves as wasting very little food, but in
reality, we are wasting substantial quantities,' says study leader Roni
Neff, Ph.D., director of the Food System Sustainability & Public Health
Program at CLF and an assistant professor in the Bloomberg School's
Department of Environmental Health Sciences. 'It happens throughout the
food chain, including both a lot of waste by consumers, and a lot on our
behalf, when businesses think we won't buy imperfect food. The root
causes are complex.'
This first nationally representative consumer survey focused on
wasted food sheds some light on factors affecting consumers' waste. The
survey, administered to 1,010 American consumers in April 2014, covered
awareness, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to wasted food.
Despite the large environmental impacts related to wasted food, most
survey respondents listed environmental concerns last when ranking
reasons to reduce food waste, with just 10 percent calling them 'very
important.' Instead, respondents said that saving money and setting a
positive example for children were the top motivators for wanting to
throw out less food.
When listing reasons why they toss food out before eating it,
consumers gave the top reasons as food safety concerns and a desire to
eat only the freshest food. While consumers should never be encouraged
to eat potentially unsafe food, they can prevent waste by planning meals
and portion sizes ahead, only buying and cooking what they need, working
to use what they have on hand before it spoils, and freezing what they
can't use. Of note, 41 percent of those who composted were not concerned
about how much food they wasted.
'The survey results are especially relevant for three groups,'
Neff says. 'For educators working to reduce food waste, a key
finding is that highlighting financial savings may resonate more
with consumers than other types of messaging. But there is still a
need to explain the environmental effects of wasting food. For
policymakers, our findings suggest a priority on making date labels
clear and consistent, and encoding sell-by labels so they do not
mislead consumers. And for businesses, the survey highlights changes
consumers want, like offering re-sealable bags and smaller product
sizes, and discounting damaged or near-expiration foods.'
In 2010, wasted food cost American consumers $161.6 billion, and
also placed a huge drain on the environment when approximately 30
percent of the fertilizer, 35 percent of the fresh water and 31
percent of the cropland in the U.S. was used to grow food that was
eventually wasted.
'Consumer waste of food in the U.S. represents a powerful
quintuple threat; reducing it may improve food security, nutrition,
budgets, environment and public health,' Neff says.
###
'Wasted food: u.s. consumers' reported awareness, attitudes, and
behaviors,' was written by Roni Neff, Marie Spiker and Patricia
Truant.
The survey was funded by the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable
Future.
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Throwing away food image via Shutterstock.
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