The United Nations Day Against Food Waste on September 29 was used by the food company Iglo Austria to publish the results of a new trend study on the subject. The survey of 1,000 people shows that there is a high level of awareness of the problem, but also that, despite the measures taken, seven in ten people have thrown away food in the last three months.
97 percent of those surveyed say they are taking measures to reduce food waste, which makes little difference to 98 percent in 2021. 74 percent said they use food that has passed its best before date if it is still OK, 67 percent regularly check what is available is in stock at home and 56 percent make a shopping list.
Young people need to catch up
Goods nearing their best before date are bought slightly more often than in the previous year (48 percent in 2022 versus 44 percent in 2021). In general, people over 50 are increasingly taking measures to combat food waste. On the other hand, there is an above-average number of 18 to 29-year-olds who do not take measures against food waste, namely eight percent, according to the trend survey.
Compared to the 2021 trend study, the relevance of the freezer and other preservation methods is increasing: 68 percent of respondents say they freeze, cook or otherwise store food themselves to prevent it from spoiling, compared to 56 percent in the last year. What will please the customer of the study is the fact that the use of frozen foods has also increased significantly due to their long shelf life, from 25 percent in 2021 to 31 percent this year.
Bread and pastries are thrown away the most
But that doesn’t change the fact that 71 percent of those surveyed, the same number as in 2021, said they’d thrown away food in the past three months. Bread and pastries (40 percent) are thrown away first, followed by fruit (36 percent) and vegetables (27 percent). Meat and pastries (9 percent each), eggs (7 percent), ready meals and frozen foods (4 percent each) and fish (two percent) are less likely to end up in the trash.
What emerges are differences by age group. Because the efforts of the over-50s to take more action against food waste seem to be having an effect: while 40 percent of 50 to 69 year olds say they have not thrown away food in the past three months, 18 to 29 year olds only 17 percent , according to the broadcast.
More and more actions for food rescue
Iglo Austria indicates that it has made its own contribution by not disposing of products that can no longer be sold to retailers due to, among other things, a short shelf life, but by handing them over directly to the consumer. Since 2021, about three campaigns have been run together with the Too Good to Go platform, the most successful campaigns in the manufacturer segment to date processed via this platform.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
