Those who buy a lot and seldom, throw away more food

Food Shopping.Photo.Pixabay

Those who buy a lot and seldom, throw away more food

Long-term planning and large-scale purchases once a week have been recommended to reduce food loss. A SIFO survey indicates that it does not work after all.

 

A Report from the Norwegian Institute for Research at the Oslo and Akershus University College (SIFO) is based on depth interviews and field work involving 26 Norwegian households about how they shop for food and handle it.

– Large purchasing limits the flexibility of everyday life. Shopping for seven dinners at a time can easily lead to food loss, because something unexpected always occurs, say researchers Marie Hebrok and Nina Heidenstrøm.

Families the worst

The ages 25-39 are the worst throwers. Child families in particular, with unpredictable eating patterns in children, who eat different amounts from one day to another, throw away a lot of food. The researchers have several advices to people and food retailers.

When purchasing, they ask people to be conscious of not buying too many foods with short shelf life, buying goods that can be used in several ways, use the freezer actively to store food that is expiring soon and for leftovers.

Cheap food in the bin

People throw away most fruits, vegetables and bread, while more expensive commodities such as meat and fish are eaten. Cheaper food is thrown more often. 42 per cent throw away food just because it has expired on date. Grocers are encouraged to drop date stamping food where there is no danger to the health if you eat it after it’s expired. The idea is to let the consumers trust their nose instead.

One last thing mentioned is gifts of food, which are popular, but often are not eaten.

– Food gifts often consist of unfamiliar foods, and an instruction manual is not included. Gifting food to others is a bad idea, says Heidenstrøm.

 

© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today