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Egg waste is a major contributor to global food waste, accounting for 15% of discarded food in the United States. Typically, eggs have a shorter shelf life at room temperature and are preserved in refrigeration from production to consumption. However, maintaining constant refrigeration is energy‐intensive and expensive. Here, a bionanocomposite coating has been developed that incorporates each element of eggs – egg white, yolk, and eggshell – to increase the shelf life of fresh eggs without requiring further refrigeration. The quality of eggs has been successfully preserved for up to three weeks at room temperature. The coated eggs maintain the highest grade (AA) and exhibit improved Haugh Unit (HU), Yolk Index (YI), and pH compared to uncoated eggs. The coating reduces weight loss by ≈37% with an increase in HU (≈12.5%) and YI (≈13.9%). Morphological analysis reveals strong adhesion of the coating to the eggshell surface, showcasing promising barrier properties. The coating demonstrates an optimal combination of oxygen permeability (≈12.2 cm3 µm m−2 d−1 kPa−1) and water vapor transmission (≈31.5 g mm m−2 per day) with excellent antimicrobial properties. Overall, this approach of repurposing eggs into a high‐performance coating shows a promising viable alternative to refrigeration and a solution to combat egg waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain feedback from school nutrition stakeholders on an agent-based model simulating school lunch to inform model refinement and future applications. Qualitative study using online discussion groups. School nutrition professional stakeholders across the US. Twenty-eight school nutrition stakeholders. Perceptions and applicability of MealSim for school nutrition stakeholders to help reduce food waste. Deductive approach followed by inductive analysis of discussion group transcripts. Stakeholders appreciated the customizability of the cafeteria characteristics and suggested adding additional characteristics to best represent the school meal system, such as factors relating to school staff supervision of students during meals. The perceived utility of MealSim was high and included using it to train personnel and to advocate for policy and budgetary changes. However, they viewed MealSim as more representative of elementary than high schools. Stakeholders also provided suggestions for training school nutrition administrators on how to use MealSim and requested opportunities for technical assistance. Although agent-based models were new to the school nutrition stakeholders, MealSim was viewed as a useful tool. Application of these findings will allow the model to meet the intended audience's needs and better estimate the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US Environmental Protection Agency Food Recovery Hierarchy suggests methods for diverting food waste from landfill. Knowledge of how hospital foodservices implement food waste management strategies could help modernize food waste practices. The aim of this study was to explore hospital staff members' experiences of implementing a food waste management strategy to divert food waste from landfill in their hospital foodservice, including the journey, challenges, and facilitators of this practice change. A qualitative study was conducted in 2022-2023 using semi-structured interviews. Eighteen participants were staff members with knowledge of the food waste management strategy from 14 exemplar hospitals in United States, Spain, Scotland, and Australia using strategies to divert food waste from landfill within the last 10 years. Mapping and thematic analysis were undertaken to code and identify themes from the interviews that described staff members' experiences of the journey to implement the strategy. Six hospitals donated food, 1 transferred food waste for animal feed, 4 used an industrial solution, and 3 sent food waste for composting. A common journey pathway for successful implementation was identified from participants' experiences. It features the following 6 phases: idea, preparation, roll out, maintenance, established practice, and evolution. Facilitators included legislation, enthusiastic staff members, executive support, and "luck." Challenges were smells, occasions when food waste was not collected, equipment breakage, and funding depletion. This study identified a common journey pathway for implementing a food waste management strategy in hospital foodservices that can be used to anticipate and prepare for the steps in the implementation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Share tables (ST) are tables or stations in school cafeterias where students can return unopened foods and beverages, providing an opportunity to access these items at no cost. Currently, research suggests that milk is among the most wasted items in breakfast and lunch programs in the United States. Share tables present a simple solution for reducing milk waste, but research is needed to understand the microbial spoilage potential of milk in ST. To this end, uninoculated milk cartons and milk cartons inoculated with 2 to 3 log 10 (cfu/mL) Pseudomonas poae , a fast-growing psychrotroph, was exposed to ambient temperature during winter (mean temperature = 20.3°C) and summer (23.1°C) for 125 min, repeated over 5 d (the length of a school week). Microbial counts in the inoculated milk cartons increased linearly, exceeding the spoilage threshold of 6.0 log 10 (cfu/mL) after d 3 and after d 4 in the winter and summer season trials, respectively. In the winter trial, the microbial counts for uninoculated milk cartons never exceeded the lower limit of detection, 2.31 log 10 (cfu/mL), and in the summer trials, microbial counts never reached the spoilage threshold, indicating that initial contamination is a driving factor of microbial milk spoilage. Regardless of sharing status or seasonality, the greatest changes in counts for inoculated milk cartons occurred during overnight refrigeration, ranging from 0.56 to 1.4 log 10 (cfu/mL), while during the share table ranged from no observable change up to 0.29 log 10 (cfu/mL), emphasizing that school nutrition personnel should focus efforts on tightly controlling refrigeration temperatures and returning milk to refrigeration as soon as possible. A previously developed model for school cafeteria share tables was adapted to understand the typical residence time of milk in a simulated cafeteria with an ambient temperature share table for the summer and winter seasons over 1,000 wk. Milk was predicted to have a very short mean residence time (85 min) regardless of sharing status or season, with 99.8% of milk consumed, discarded, or donated within the first 2 d. As a result, only 3 out of 451,410 and 6 out of 451,410 simulated milks spoiled in the winter and summer seasons, respectively. The data generated here can be used to inform science-based decision-making for including milk in share tables, or applied to any system where one might have to accept short-term unrefrigerated storage of milk to meet a waste reduction or food security goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identify psychosocial factors influencing food waste mitigation and explore motivations and strategies for successful conservation among self-identified food conservers. Mixed-methods study consisting of an online survey estimating food waste production and psychosocial factors and a focus group to explore waste mitigation strategies and motivations. Sampled 27 self-identified conservers (female, aged 18–30 years, White/Asian). Mean household food waste was 6.6 cups/wk (range, 0.0–97.9 cups/wk; median 1.3 cups). Reported waste mitigation strategies include proactive mitigation and adaptive recovery measures in each phase of the food management continuum. Conservers reported various intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to reduce food waste and viewed barriers as manageable. Food conservers act on high intentions to reduce waste by consistently employing both proactive waste mitigation and adaptive food recovery measures. Future research is needed to determine if these findings hold in larger, more diverse samples and link specific behaviors to waste volume. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing interest in the manufacture of extended shelf-life (ESL) milk, which is typically achieved by a high-temperature treatment called ultra-pasteurization (UP), is driven by distribution challenges, efforts to reduce food waste, and more. Even though high-temperature, short-time (HTST) pasteurized milk has a substantially shorter shelf life than UP milk, HTST milk is preferred in the United States because consumers tend to perceive UP milk as less desirable due to the "cooked" flavor associated with high-temperature processing. While ESL beyond 21 d may be possible for HTST, the survival and outgrowth of psychrotolerant aerobic spore-forming bacteria can still be a limitation to extending shelf life of HTST milk. Microfiltration (MF) is effective for reducing vegetative microorganisms and spores in raw milk, but it is unclear what the effects of membrane pore size, storage temperature, and milk type (i.e., skim vs. whole) are on the microbial shelf life of milk processed by both MF and HTST pasteurization. To investigate these factors, raw skim milk was MF using different pore sizes (0.8 or 1.2 μm), and then MF skim milk and standardized whole milk (MF skim with heat-treated [85°C for 20 s] cream) were HTST pasteurized at 75°C for 20 s. Subsequently, milk was stored at 3°C, 6.5°C, or 10°C and total bacteria counts were measured for up to 63 d. An ANOVA indicated that mean bacterial concentrations between storage temperatures were significantly different from each other, with mean maximum observed concentrations of 3.67, 5.33, and 8.08 log 10 cfu/mL for storage temperatures 3°C, 6.5°C, and 10°C, respectively. Additionally, a smaller difference in mean maximum bacterial concentrations throughout shelf life was identified between pore sizes (<1 log cfu/mL), but no significant difference was attributed to milk type. An unexpected outcome of this study was the identification of Microbacterium as a major contributor to the bacterial population in MF ESL milk. Microbacterium is a psychrotolerant, thermoduric gram-positive, non-spore-forming rod with a small cell size (∼0.9 μm length and ∼0.3 μm width), which our data suggest was able to permeate the membranes used in this study, survive HTST pasteurization, and then grow at refrigeration temperatures. While spores continue to be a key concern for the manufacture of MF, ESL milk, our study demonstrates the importance of other psychrotolerant, thermoduric bacteria such as Microbacterium to these products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Urban organic waste diverted from landfills for use as compost feedstock may help mitigate and adapt to the effects of our changing climate. Yet, compost produced from urban food and yard waste is often a source of contaminants harmful to human and environmental health. Efforts by multiple municipalities are increasing residential and commercial food and yard waste collection; however, finished, tested compost is typically unavailable to those contributing the waste and whose gardens would benefit. OBJECTIVES: This commentary evaluates the relative equity and safety of U.S. organic waste cycles in relation to urban and peri-urban agriculture (UA) and waste stewardship. We a) explore historical structures that have led to siloed food and waste systems and b) provide recommendations to promote safer compost production from urban organic waste inputs. The engagement of intersectional partners in the creation of equitable policies and contracts that integrate food and waste justice is crucial to this work. METHODS: A 15-y relationship between community, academic, and government partners in Boston, Massachusetts, has increased access to health-promoting community gardens. Historical concerns raised by gardeners resulted in improvement to the quality of compost sourced from municipal organic waste and motivated a case study of Boston and three other cities (Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; New York, New York). This case study provides the approaches used to source, collect, process, test, and deliver urban organic waste as compost for UA. It informed recommendations to improve the safety and equity of organic waste-to-compost cycles. DISCUSSION: Strict feedstock regulation and required compost safety testing are essential to produce safe, city-sourced compost. Balancing the needs of landfill diversion with equitable distribution to all contributors, particularly low-income and food-insecure people, will help concentrate UA benefits within marginalized communities. Adoption of a public health lens may help ensure the safety of nutrient-rich compost available for urban growers through legislation at state and local levels, along with explicit industry contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, food banks play an important role in helping to reduce the rate of food insecurity by distributing donated food among the population in need. One of the challenges that food banks face is to equitably distribute food donations among their clients such that, ideally, each recipient receives the same amount of food. They aim to do so while minimizing waste that occurs due to spoilage and capacity limitations. Perishable food items present specific challenges since they are susceptible to spoilage and need to be distributed before their expiry dates. Based on our longstanding partnership with a large food bank located in the southeastern United States, we present a capacitated, multiperiod, multiproduct network flow model to help them equitably and effectively distribute perishable food donations among the food‐insecure population in their service region. The model is applied within the context of a case study and reveals managerial insights that would be useful to practitioners. Our findings show that although equity is one of the food bank's highest priorities, inequities cannot be eliminated completely. Given the inevitability of inequitable food allocations in practice, this paper provides food banks guidance on how to strategically control inequities using two approaches: (i) by increasing the number of periods for which equity should be satisfied or (ii$ii$) by allowing deviations from a perfectly equitable distribution. The results show that modest deviations from perfect equity using either approach can lead to significant improvements in both the quality and quantity of food distributed and can also reduce food waste. While approach (ii$ii$) is preferable, the most desirable outcomes occur when both are applied simultaneously. We also find that county capacities inhibit a food bank's ability to achieve balance between equity and effectiveness when distributing perishables. Our framework provides food banks the flexibility to balance the trade‐off between effectiveness and equity based on their preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste in the United States was valued at $285 billion in 2019, representing 70% of all food surplus; dairy and eggs alone represented 15.90% of food surplus. Milk is the fifth most consumed beverage in the United States, and therefore its contribution to food waste has significant economic and environmental ramifications. Smart labels that provide precise spoilage information for fluid milk may help reduce food waste in fluid milk, but it is unclear if consumers will accept or pay for this novel technology. This paper examines consumer preferences for high temperature, short time pasteurized fluid milk shelf life and smart date labels and tests how information about the environmental impact of fluid milk food waste affects consumers' acceptance and willingness to pay. We used a choice-based conjoint study administered in an online survey, along with a between-subject experiment to measure preferences under different information treatments about the environmental impact of food waste. Our results suggest that consumers' valuations of extended shelf life and an ecolabel is positive; however, using the smart label creates disutility for consumers, thereby hindering acceptance of new labeling technology that may facilitate food waste reduction in the milk industry. These findings imply that retailers should find alternative means to enhance the communication of precise shelf life information and its role in reducing food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In United States (U.S.) household food waste, which is generated in part from food purchased from food retailers, is believed to be a major contributor to national food waste. Understanding the relationship between household food shopping behavior and food waste is important for developing food waste reduction programs, particularly given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on households' use of online grocery shopping and restaurants. Data from a sample of U.S. households in 2022 was analyzed using probit regression for the probability of any household food waste and a log-linear regression for mean household food waste, conditional on any food waste. This study found that online grocery shopping was associated with greater quantities of food waste overall and specifically fruit and vegetable waste. We also find the use of restaurants was associated with greater food waste, while short planning durations for grocery shopping were associated with less food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food, when wasted, reaches landfills and emits greenhouse gases. The impact of greenhouse gases (GHGs), in turn, is felt by even those who do not waste food in the place. Externalities thus created are known to distort market efficiency and the most widely discussed externality is climate change. This study takes the case of United States of America (USA) to ascertain the GHGs resulting due to food wastage. The difference between cost per capita due to emissions from animal‐based products and emissions from plant‐based products comes out to be $122. In the year 1997 total GHG emission for the entire population of the USA due to food wastage was 401.98 billion kgCO2eq, costing the country 45.42 billion US dollars. Two decades later, in 2017, the food waste costs went up by 6 billion US dollars amounting to 51.14 billion US dollars and 452.64 billion kgCO2eq of GHG emissions The novelty of this research lies in highlighting the carbon footprints of food wastage in terms of GHG's and monetizing these emissions. The study proposes an integrated response through a mix of environmental policy instruments of economic incentives, command and control and moral suasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three successive administrations have supported the United States' 2015 goal to reduce food waste. Households waste more food than other supply chain segments, however, few data sources are available to track US households' progress toward this goal. We provide insights from the first four waves of a novel national survey designed to track such waste. We find a 280% year-over-year increase in self-reported waste between early 2021 and early 2022, which militates against national goal achievement. We find households wasted more food during weeks they dined out and that sample households dined out significantly more in 2022 than in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The average U.S. household wastes one-third of the food it buys; however, levels of waste differ by household size and socioeconomic status. There is limited research on understanding low-income household food waste practices and effective food waste reduction education and messaging. Explore the perspectives of household food waste reduction awareness, attitudes, barriers, motivators, and practices among federally funded nutrition education program participants in California. The qualitative study utilized Zoom-recorded focus groups with participants from 6 counties in California. Participants were at least 18 years old, had one or more children, prepared most meals for their household, spoke English/Spanish, and were able to participate in online group discussions. Six focus groups (5 in Spanish and 1 in English) were conducted with a total of 46 participants. Researchers performed a thematic analysis of responses to 10 open-ended questions. Participants were most aware of food waste occurring at home, schools, and restaurants. The types of food most likely to be thrown away were fruits and vegetables, inedible parts of meat, grains, and leftovers. Wasted food was typically placed in the trash. Leftover foods when saved were stored, used for a new meal, frozen, or given to others. The top barriers to reducing household food waste were related to excess purchases, children's food preferences, food expiring quickly, and not following a shopping list. participants also highlighted guilt around food waste related to the unwise use of money or other people needing more food. Saving money and family autonomy were top motivators to reduce household food waste. Participants preferred monthly or weekly in-person classes, videos, or printed materials to reduce food waste at home. Federal nutrition education programming that emphasizes planning, shopping, cooking, food storage, and managing excess food, has the potential to decrease household food waste. Additionally, it may help participants save money while helping mitigate environmental impacts. ReFED [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States (U.S.), approximately one-third of the food supply is wasted. Although few food waste policies exist to enforce food waste reduction (FWR) in food retail settings, many food retailers (FR) have corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments to reduce food waste. To date, no evidence-based measurement tools exclusive for evaluating FWR efforts in food retail exist. To develop and validate a questionnaire to evaluate FRs' commitments to reduce food waste. This study had two phases; 1) to review existing literature to guide questionnaire development and 2) to conduct cognitive interviews to assess face validity of the developed questionnaire. Literature on existing FWR and sustainability frameworks guided the development of questionnaire items. Feedback for the questionnaire was gathered through structured cognitive interviews. Participants were recruited via purposive sampling. Inclusion criteria were that they were older than 18 years, worked in the U.S., and worked as a food systems researcher/professional. Participants were asked about the overall questionnaire, areas that needed clarification, and the scoring system. Interviews continued until data saturation was met. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed using Otter.AI, de-identified, and analyzed for recurring themes using inductive thematic analysis. The initial questionnaire contained six domains informed by existing FWR literature. These included current FWR commitments, food waste prevention practices, food rescue practices, food recycling practices, other sustainability-informed practices, and future commitments. Participants of the cognitive interview (n=4) mentioned that the tool was comprehensive and aligned with the Environmental Protection Agency Wasted Food Scale. Suggestions for improvement included adding a domain to address retailers employee education for FWR, improving readability of the questionnaire, and including examples of public FWR policies. This evidence-based questionnaire comprehensively addresses areas for FWR among US FR. Future researchers can use this questionnaire to assess current CSR commitments toward FWR. Additionally, FR and policymakers can use this tool to guide the development of FWR initiatives. Circle of Friends [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This preliminary project evaluated home-delivered meal-kits and their relationship to a sustainable community food system. An exploratory evaluation/case study was conducted to understand how meal-kit messaging may reduce food loss and waste. Box contents and inner and outer packaging materials, including marketing messages, were evaluated based on the FAO's food supply chain framework for community food systems. Home-delivered meal-kits may impact consumer behavior, decreasing food waste and loss. Studying the impact of meal-kit messaging on consumer behavior in rural and nonrural household may be a worthwhile avenue to decrease food and food packaging waste and loss in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Food losses and waste (FLW) mitigation should be prioritized on vegetables. • Vegetable FLW contributes 29% of total plant FLW-wasted blue water. • Vegetable FLW contributes 50% of total plant FLW-emitted carbon dioxide. • Vegetable FLW is mainly driven by urbanization, income, and gross domestic product. The United States (U.S.) aims to reduce half of food loss and waste (FLW) by 2030. To achieve this goal, the public, academic, and political attentions on FLW have been increasing, and a series of actions have been implemented. However, the actions lack consideration on the categorical priority of FLW mitigation in relation to environmental footprints. In this article, we compare the FLW of three main plant food categories (i.e., grains, vegetables, and fruits) and their water and carbon footprints during 1970–2017. The vegetable FLW doubled during the period, reaching 3.39 × 1010 kg in 2017, which was 5- and 2-fold higher than the FLW of grains and fruits, respectively. The FLW of vegetables, grains, and fruits contributed 29%, 47%, and 24% to the total blue water wasted through FLW. The total carbon dioxide emissions generated by plant FLW were contributed by vegetables with 50%, grains with 31%, and fruits with 19%. Canonical correspondence analysis indicates that vegetable FLW had a higher positive correlation with urbanization, household incomes, gross domestic product, and high-income population than grain FLW, whereas fruit FLW was not influenced by these socioeconomic factors. Therefore, we suggest that the FLW mitigation should be prioritized on vegetables. Specific strategies include local food sourcing, shortening food miles, building food belts, and developing controlled-environment agriculture. Our data-based comparisons provide valuable insights into food policy improvement for achieving the 2030 reduction goal of the U.S., but the insights could be improved by considering the influences of foods imported from other nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Over $150,000 are lost annually due to meal tray waste in a large hospital in the United States. This study aims to explore the root causes of meal tray waste within a decentralized foodservice model and strategies to mitigate waste., Methods: A mixed methods sequential explanatory design was used by first identifying hospital units high and low in meal tray waste using recorded food management data from January 2021 through September 2022, then conducting observations, mobile-interviews (n = 16), and in-depth interviews with hospital foodservice staff (n = 6) and nurses (n = 6) in each unit. Lastly, hospital and topic experts (n = 10) were engaged in strategizing solutions to reduce meal tray waste., Results: Findings indicate meal tray waste is increased when patients discharge and when standard trays (i.e., also known as house trays, which include items not requested by patients) are provided. Meal tray waste points to the unpredictability in a hospital that often arises due to patient circumstances, lack of coordination between nursing and foodservice staff, patients' food preferences, and the need for system and workflow improvements in a decentralized foodservice model., Conclusions: Findings highlight considerations that may be applicable across diverse medical institutions seeking to reduce meal tray waste. Hospitals should choose the best foodservice model that suits their institution to manage operations efficiently, focusing on reducing waste, cost optimization, patient satisfaction, and sustainability., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors of this research paper are employees of Cedars Sinai Medical Center and/or recent graduates of the institutions graduate school program., (Copyright © 2024 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Fermentation of eight vegetables was studied as an alternative for reclamation of surplus volumes. Fermentation performance was predicted by comparing the amounts of acid that could be produced from the intrinsic sugar content with that buffered by the fresh vegetable matrices prior to reaching an inhibitory pH for fermentative microbes (3.30). Native fermentations were brined with 345.0 mM sodium chloride, 40.0 mM calcium chloride, 6.0 mM potassium sorbate, and vinegar to adjust the initial pH to 4.70. High‐performance liquid chromatography analysis, pH, and carbon dioxide measurements and spiral plating on selective media were employed to monitor the progress of fermentations. The average colony counts for yeast and/or molds and Enterobacteriaceae declined to undetectable levels from 3.6 ± 1.5 log CFU/ml within 7 days of fermentation. The fermentation of sugars produced lactic, acetic, succinic, and/or malic acids, and ethanol. As predicted, the fermentation of vegetables with low sugar content, such as broccoli, green leaf lettuce, and green pea proceeded to completion. The fermentation of vegetables with a moderate sugar content, such as green bell pepper, red ripened tomato, and green bean were incomplete at pH 3.1 ± 0.2. The fermentation of high sugar vegetables including sweet potato and corn were expected and observed to be incomplete. It is concluded that the intrinsic sugar content and buffer capacity of surplus vegetables are relevant parameters in obtaining complete fermentations. Practical Application: Vegetables are the second most wasted commodity in the United States and a substantial constituent of the global food waste. Development of fermentation to reclaim surplus vegetables from farms, grocery stores, and farmer's markets offers opportunities to ameliorate economic losses and environmental impact and add value to waste. The research described here suggests that a fraction of vegetables could be fermented in cover brines while others, with high sugar content, need specialized handling. Evidently, optimization of vegetable fermentation with starter cultures and added buffers represent an opportunity to stimulate complete bioconversions useful for reclaiming surplus volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a holistic Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for evaluating the decarbonization potential of using Anaerobic Digestion (AD) in food waste treatment. The LCA is based on the development of a new flexible tool that allows the integration of the LCA at the process level with geospatial data and therefore includes a wide range of factors such as multiple feedstocks, technologies for end-use applications, and facility locations. This tool estimates a potential for reducing 21.8 MMtons CO 2eq /y (345 g CO2eq /kg waste) and generating 161 TBTU/y of renewable natural gas for the whole United States by managing food waste based on waste-hierarchy. This study also identifies those states with a more efficient AD implementation potential regarding CO 2eq avoidance. It highlights the importance of including region-specific conditions since feedstock diversion depends on the state and is the main contributor to the decarbonization potential, up to 60 % of the avoided emissions. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discoloration of beef products leads retailers to offer discounts or discard beef products, as consumers tend to reject a brownish beef color. This practice contributes to retail food waste and inefficient resource allocation linked to beef production. The objective of this study was to investigate U.S. consumer preferences for beef color and price discounts. After an initial test for screen acuity regarding color perception using a condensed form the ishihara test, data on meat purchasing behavior as well as demographic information was collected for all participants. An additional part of the study undertook a hypothetical discrete choice experiment using digital photos of beef steaks with different meat color, price, and discount labels in retail packaging to examine consumer preferences, willingness to pay, and the effects of discount pricing. Results of a Mixed Logit Model based on choice data show that beef shoppers perceive, see, and prefer color nearly linearly across days of retail display. Consumers' willingness to pay was negative for 4, 7 and 9 days of retail display relative to day zero and decreased with an increase in discoloration. Results indicate that beef shoppers would have to be financially compensated for choosing a steak that was discolored after 9 days of retail display. However, male beef buyers exhibit weaker preferences for color and could be a target segment for promoting discolored beef products to reduce meat waste., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Annika J. Thies reports financial support was provided by German Academic Exchange Service. Annika J. Thies reports financial support was provided by German Agricultural Society. Mahesh N. Nair and Amanda M. Countryman report financial support was provided by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. Schools offer a unique opportunity to educate on this issue while also reducing food waste generation; however, few climate-change education curricula that include a food waste component have been developed and tested with fidelity. Thus, the purpose of this cluster randomized controlled study was to assess the effectiveness of a climate change and food waste education program called NJ Leaves No Bite Behind (NJLNBB) among fifth-grade students. Lessons on food waste and sustainable food behaviors were developed that aligned with NJ Student Learning Standards for Climate Change and Next-Generation Science Standards. Participants (n = 162) completed pre- and post-test surveys that assessed knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors. Post-test, the experimental group (n = 102) had significantly ( p < 0.05) higher mean scores in knowledge, social norms, behavioral intentions, and perceived behavioral control compared to the control group (n = 60), with medium effect sizes, as determined by partial eta-squared. There were no significant between-group differences in mean score attitudes, self-efficacy, motivation to comply, or climate-friendly behaviors post-test. Almost three-quarters of participants who received the program agreed or strongly agreed the lessons were fun (75.5%), liked the card games (72.5), and learned a lot (78.4%). These findings are promising in terms of teaching adolescents the impacts of food waste on the climate.

Food insecurity among college students exceeds levels of household food insecurity in the United States, and is a growing problem. Simultaneously, large quantities of food are wasted on college campuses. This paper presents a simple, low-cost approach to address both issues, utilizing an electronic Learning Management System as a platform to connect college students with good quality food that would otherwise be wasted. A needs assessment, program implementation, and outcomes evaluation are described; the food rescue initiative was positively received by the campus community. This program could be easily be adopted by any educational institution that utilizes a LMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, state and federal programs, rules, and legislation attempt to address the social, economic, and environmental impacts of food waste. Research on the efficacy of these interventions rely on a variety of grey literature resources. Grey literature is valuable to policy research but may be overlooked because it is not published commercially and is often deemed unauthoritative. This review focuses on the use of grey literature in food waste law and policy scholarship to identify the most used sources and to determine what, if any, archiving strategies authors use. Recommendations for librarians and researchers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the importance of affordable nutrition. Fruits and vegetables are among the most commonly wasted food items, representing waste of key nutrients that are needed to maintain health and support the immune system. Food waste also represents substantial environmental burden and more than one-quarter of consumer food spending. Practical strategies are urgently needed to help nutritionists support their clients in reducing food waste, which can help improve diet quality, reduce environmental impacts, and increase financial flexibility during this critical time. Fortunately, recent research has demonstrated that efforts to reduce waste of fruits and vegetables at home, as well as meat and seafood away from home, will be particularly impactful. A number of strategies exist to help consumers reduce their food waste while making affordable food choices, and nutritionists are well poised to communicate these strategies to their clients and communities of practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many campaigns promote the preservation and consumption of leftover food items as a critical household strategy to accomplish national consumer food waste reduction goals. We fill a gap in knowledge about the consumption and creation of leftovers in the United States by analyzing data from a pilot study in which 18 subjects tracked food selection, intake, and plate waste across all eating occasions for about one week. Subjects noted which items selected for consumption were leftovers, i.e., previously prepared but uneaten items that were stored for future consumption, and which unfinished items were saved to become leftovers. We found that 12% of items selected for consumption were leftovers while 24% of selected items that were not fully consumed were kept to become a leftover. Leftovers were most frequently vegetables, cheeses, and meats, and most frequently selected on Mondays and for lunch. Regression analyses isolate significant dining patterns with respect to leftovers, including evidence that leftovers were less likely to be fully consumed than non-leftover items, and that larger meals led to more uneaten food. This suggests that strategies to reduce meal size may be most effective in reducing food waste by limiting the creation of leftovers in the first place. Strategies to make leftovers more attractive and appealing may also reduce food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, 6.5 million children experience food insecurity. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the Building Blocks for Healthy Kids summer nutrition education program for low-income children. Twenty-six children ages 6–11 years participated in the six-lesson program that included snacks incorporating gleaned produce. Plate waste data indicated 55-80% of the served snack was consumed. Knowledge related to nutrition and food systems increased between pre- and post-intervention (p <.0001). At post-intervention, children reported practicing more mindful and sustainable eating practices. Overall, the program increased knowledge and improved food-related behaviors in low-income children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Higher diet quality has been associated with greater amounts of food waste among adults in the United States. This study aims to build on previous work by examining the association between diet quality and food waste, as assessed using detailed waste audits, among a sample of Canadian families.Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 85 Canadian families with young children. Parent and children diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), calculated from 3-day food records. Household food waste was measured using detailed waste audits conducted over multiple weeks and these data were used to calculate daily per capita food waste. Linear regression was used to explore the association between parent and child HEI-2015 scores and daily per capita total avoidable and unavoidable food waste, as well as daily per capita avoidable and unavoidable food waste in the following categories: 1) fruits and vegetables, 2) milk, cheese and eggs, 3) meat and fish, 4) breads and cereals, 5) fats and sugars.Results: Parent HEI-2015 scores ranged from 37 to 92 (out of 100) and 81% of parents' diets scored in the "Needs Improvement (51-80)" category. Parent and child diet quality scores were significantly correlated (r = 0.61; P < 0.0001) and 82% of children's diets scored in the "Needs Improvement" category. On average, households produced 107 g of avoidable food waste and 52 g of unavoidable food waste per person per day. Fruits and vegetables were the highest contributor for both avoidable and unavoidable food waste. Both parent and child HEI-2015 scores were not significantly associated with total daily per capita avoidable or unavoidable food waste. However, parent HEI-2015 scores were positively associated with daily per capita avoidable fruit and vegetable waste (Unstandardized β = 1.05; 95%CI: 0.11, 1.99; P = 0.03) and daily per capita unavoidable fruit and vegetable waste (Unstandardized β = 0.60; 95%CI: 0.03, 1.17; P = 0.04), after adjusting for household income.Conclusion: This is the first study to explore the association between diet quality and food waste using detailed waste audits. Future research should explore effective strategies towards improving diet quality while simultaneously reducing food waste, especially of fruits and vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumer food waste in the United States represents substantial amounts of wasted nutrients, as well as needless environmental impact from wasted agricultural inputs, energy use, and greenhouse gas emissions. Efforts to reduce food waste at the consumer level are urgently needed to address the most prominent nutrition and environmental sustainability issues we now face. Importantly, individuals report that saving money is a salient motivator for reducing food waste, yet contemporary evidence on the consumer cost of wasted food is lacking. The objectives of this study are to 1) estimate the daily per capita cost of food wasted, inedible, and consumed 2) at home and away from home, and 3) by food group.Methods: This study utilizes cross-sectional, nationally-representative data on food intake from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2016), linked with nationally representative data on food waste from published literature, as well as data on food prices and food price inflation from multiple publicly-available sources. Survey-weighted procedures estimated daily per capita expenditure on food waste for 39,758 adults aged ≥20 y.Results: Total daily per capita food expenditure was $13.27, representing 27% wasted, 14% inedible, and 59% consumed. The greatest daily food waste expenditures were observed for meat and seafood purchased for consumption outside of the home ($0.94, 95% CI: $0.90-0.99), and fruits and vegetables purchased for consumption in the home ($0.68, $0.63-0.73).Conclusions: The most cost-effective ways to reduce food waste at the consumer level are to focus waste reduction efforts on meat and seafood purchased for consumption outside of the home and fruits and vegetables purchased for consumption in the home. A number of strategies are available to help consumers reduce their food waste, which can increase their financial flexibility to purchase more healthy foods while simultaneously reducing environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste is a critical global issue, posing substantial environmental, social, and financial challenges, even as millions continue to face uncertainty regarding their next meal source. The seriousness of this problem necessitates a closer look into ways to reduce food waste. In this investigation, we identify a key factor which contributes to food waste-imperfect fruits and vegetables (FaVs), defined as foods that are non-uniform in shape, color, or texture. Because of their unusual and sometimes ugly appearance, people are often averse to buying them, making it important to understand factors that influence people's acceptance or rejection of imperfect FaVs. Across four online studies (including an exploratory study) with nearly 1400 U.S. respondents and using varied designs, we test political ideology as a moderator of this aversion to imperfect FaVs. Our findings indicate that politically conservative people are less likely to purchase imperfect FaVs (vs. perfect FaVs) compared to politically liberal people. The last study also uncovers the psychological mechanism underlying this greater aversion to FaVs by conservatives: lower openness to experience explains why this segment of population may be less willing to purchase imperfect FaVs. Implications and future research directions are discussed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

To determine barriers, motivators, and perspectives regarding plate waste reduction of early adolescents. Trained interviewers conducted audio-recorded individual interviews with adolescents. Elementary schools implementing the National School Lunch Program in Hawai'i, Montana, and Virginia. Early adolescents (n = 47, aged 9–13 years) from families receiving or eligible to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits were recruited to participate. Factors influencing plate waste among adolescents and potential plate waste reduction strategies. Coders analyzed content and thematic data to identify code categories and themes. Main barriers to reducing school lunch plate waste were unsupportive school policy, undesirable food quality, satiation, and social influences. Key motivators to reducing school lunch plate waste were supportive school policy, including allowing students to share food with peers and save food to eat later; and social influences. Participants found it acceptable to throw away disliked food and unacceptable to throw away wanted food; they perceived that their peers did not care whether food was thrown away; and they thought their parents disliked wasting food. Results suggest that several factors might allow for minimization of school lunch plate waste in the National School Lunch Program , including improvements in food quality, food policy, and social influences. Under these important themes, strategies to employ may include improving food preparation and taste, allocating more time for students to finish lunch, allowing students to self-select food lunch items, and permitting them to share and save their leftover food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The United States wastes approximately 40% of its food supply. This article will examine the implications of this waste for food insecurity and climate change. It will also explore how the law and social entrepreneurship can be used to confront this public health challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies provide opportunities to use waste materials beneficially in producing power, transportation fuels, and chemicals. Using a suite of economic models, this study estimates prices of four WTE resources: food waste; fats, oils, and greases (FOG); animal manure; and sewage sludge. Some of these materials are commoditized (e.g. FOG) thus their price is determined by market demand. For the materials regarded as waste, the study relates price to the avoided cost of disposal through waste management alternatives such as landfilling. This study finds that significant amounts of these feedstocks could be available at negative prices, meaning that a potential bioenergy facility could receive these materials for free or be paid to accept them in some locations. It is estimated that about 61% of sewage sludge, 27% of manure, and 7% of food waste may be available at negative prices. These negative price feedstocks are not uniformly distributed and are most likely to occur in areas with organic waste disposal bans, high population densities, and high landfill tipping fees. This study intends to open an initial discussion into how stakeholders view and value these materials, and how this view is evolving as their potential as WTE feedstocks is realized. • The first study to analyze spatial variance in wet waste-to-energy feedstock prices. • Feedstocks can be viewed as commodities or wastes depending on location and markets. • If a resource has been commoditized (e.g. FOG), its price is determined by market demand. • If treated as a waste, feedstock price is driven by the cost of its disposal. • Negative waste feedstock prices are driven by disposal costs and organic waste bans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Consumers frequently misunderstand food date labels. • Viewing date labels as safety messages was linked with food discards. • Viewing date labels as federally regulated was linked with food discards. • Education is needed to support the roll-out of voluntary label standards. Abstract Introduction Food date labels such as "best before" and "sell by" are largely unregulated in the United States (U.S.), although new voluntary standards are coming into effect. A U.S. consumer survey was performed in April 2016 to inform policy and education activities related to date labels. Methods The survey was administered online to a nationally representative sample of 1029 adults as part of a biweekly omnibus survey. Survey questions assessed the frequency of discarding food based on date labels by food type, interpretation of label language variations, and knowledge of whether date labels are currently regulated by the federal government. Results 84% of consumers discard food near the package date at least occasionally. Among date labels assessed, "best if used by" was most frequently perceived as communicating quality, and both "expires on" and "use by" as communicating safety. Over 1/3 of participants incorrectly thought that date labeling was federally regulated, and 26% more were unsure. Respondents ages 18–34 and those with misunderstanding about date labels reported discarding food based on label dates with significantly more frequency than others. Conclusions Misunderstanding the meaning of food date labels is strongly associated with reports of more frequent food discards. This survey provides new and policy-relevant insights about how Americans use and perceive date labels, and about language used in labeling that may be most effective at communicating desired messages to consumers. As date labeling becomes standardized, this research underlines the need for a strong accompanying communications campaign, and highlights a particular need to reach those ages 18–34. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While advocacy groups and environmentalists have sought to highlight the issue of food waste, relatively little is known about individual citizen concern about food wasted by organizations in the U.S. This paper examines the extent to which individuals are concerned about organizational food waste, and to what extent they would support policies intended to reduce food waste. We also address how food waste reduces efficiencies in the water-energy-food nexus. We use a nationally representative sample of survey respondents to identify the personal characteristics that relate to concern about food waste and to corrective public policies. We expand the use of water-energy-food awareness indexes and examine if nexus awareness influences opinions and policies regarding food waste. Results show that nexus awareness, or awareness of the interconnections between food-water and food-energy, is significantly related to food waste concern and policy preferences to reduce food waste. We conclude with some strategies and policy recommendations on increasing awareness and action to reduce food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, 40 percent of all food intended for human consumption is lost or wasted. This has economic, environmental, and social consequences that justify the involvement of public agencies. However, few public agencies are systematically addressing this issue and little is known about what has been successful or effective. This study describes the strategies, challenges, successes, and recommendations of agencies currently doing this work, as well as perspectives on issues that need to be addressed at a systems-level in order to make food waste prevention and recovery possible in a lasting and meaningful way. These findings can be used to inform agencies about strategies and best practices to be used to create effective and successful programs that reduce the burden of wasted food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grocery auctions, as an outgrowth of the inefficiencies of the industrialized food system, repurpose unwanted, damaged, and overstock food that has been removed from the primary market. Based on ethnographic research conducted at grocery auctions in Maryland and Mississippi, this article examines how the spoils and waste of the capitalist industrialized food system are transformed into valued food. During the competitive play of bidding, the divergent needs and motivations of distributers and consumers intersect and collectively determine the value of food: distribution, rather than production, emerges as a central force in the creation of value. Focusing on the generative potential of value, I argue that the social dimensions of distribution enacted through bidding render the value-making process itself visible and expose the products of the industrialized food system as contested sites of engagement rather than hegemonic markers of value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Food waste studies have been used for more than 40 years to assess nutrient intake, dietary quality, menu performance, food acceptability, cost, and effectiveness of nutrition education in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Objective Describe methods used to measure food waste and respective results in the NSLP across time. Methods A systematic review using PubMed, Science Direct, Informaworld, and Institute of Scientific Information Web of Knowledge was conducted using the following search terms: waste, school lunch, plate waste, food waste, kitchen, half method, quarter method, weight, and photography . Studies published through June 2015 were included. The systematic review followed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses recommendations. Results The final review included 53 articles. Food waste methodologies included in-person visual estimation (n=11), digital photography (n=11), direct weighing (n=23), and a combination of in-person visual estimation, digital photography, and/or direct weighing (n=8). A majority of studies used a pre–post intervention or cross-sectional design. Fruits and vegetables were the most researched dietary component on the lunch tray and yielded the greatest amount of waste across studies. Conclusions Food waste is commonly assessed in the NSLP, but the methods are diverse and reporting metrics are variable. Future research should focus on establishing more uniform metrics to measure and report on food waste in the NSLP. Consistent food waste measurement methods will allow for better comparisons between studies. Such measures may facilitate better decision making about NSLP practices, programs, and policies that influence student consumption patterns across settings and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, 21% of the total food available for consumption in the United States was wasted at the household level. In response to this waste, a number of counties and U.S. localities have instituted policies (disposal taxes) directed toward reducing this waste. However, currently there is no federal food-waste disposal tax. The aim of this paper is to establish a theoretical foundation for household food waste, and based on this theory, to determine the social-optimal food-waste (disposal) tax, along with a government incentive. The theory unravels the interrelation between social food insecurity and external environmental costs, which is not generally considered by households when they waste food. A social-optimal disposal tax and government incentive involve Pigovian mechanisms and governmental expenditures. For a zero level of food waste, the social-optimal disposable tax and government incentive approach infinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine the effect of message framing based on environmental impact of food waste. • Both gain-framed and loss-framed information increased acceptance of imperfect food. • A personal meta-value affinity for self-transcendence increased acceptance. • A personal meta-value affinity for conservation reduced acceptance for physical imperfections. • The combined effect of message framing and value-orientation was specific to the meta-values. Based on a survey of 3,504 consumers in the United States, this study investigates acceptance for food with varying types of aesthetic imperfections. A product-based discrete choice experiments (DCE) were utilized to provide preference estimates based on trade-offs between attributes of aesthetic imperfections and other relevant product attributes including price and type of production and origin. Respondents were randomly allocated to information treatments (control, gain-framed, loss-framed) tailored to nutritional and environmental impacts of food waste. Results showed that consumers accept aesthetic food imperfections related to color while not accepting those related to shape and physical aspects. The price discount was the second most important attribute for consumers' acceptance. Hence, marketing initiatives to promote 'ugly' food needs to be set with a rather substantial price discount in relation to physical imperfections but not so much in relation to shape or color imperfections. Furthermore, both gain-framed and loss-framed information increased acceptance and this effect was influenced by consumers' personal meta-value orientation. Individuals with an affinity for the meta-value orientations self-transcendence and openness to change were most accepting of aesthetically imperfect food, and individuals with an affinity for openness to change were particularly affected by gain-framed information. Tailoring the information to personal value-dimensions support the role of information to bridge the knowledge-deficit gap in terms of food waste reductions. We suggest to broaden this approach using a set of message contents to achieve increased message congruence through provision of information tailored by type of dominant personal meta-value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A trend has emerged seeking to transform edible food waste into new consumable products, a process known as upcycling. However, there are limited studies on consumer knowledge and attitudes towards upcycled foods. This study is the first to compare a Western (United States (US)) and Eastern (China) country, in terms of consumer attitudes to upcycled foods and consumer preferences on new upcycled food combinations. The survey was distributed online and statistical analyses were performed to calculate differences between the two countries relating to willingness to try (WTT), willingness to buy (WTB), liking, familiarity, attractiveness, purchase likelihood and previous knowledge of upcycled foods. Results indicate that more participants in China had heard previously of upcycled foods than in the US, however familiarity was low in both countries. Overall, liking towards upcycled foods was higher in the USA than in China. In the US, the most popular combinations were snack foods with upcycled spent grains and upcycled vegetables included in soups, followed by upcycled fruit in snacks. In China the most popular combinations were fruit in snacks, breakfast foods and drinks. The preferred by-products in both countries were plant-based, but dairy was the third preferred choice in China. Chinese participants characterised upcycled foods in terms of quality and health more than the US, while 'reducing food waste' and being 'good for the environment' were equally associated with upcycled foods in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses how food systems and transboundary food supply chains are mediated and shaped by (cross-) cultural and geopolitical borders that function as selective filters. We focus on the ways in which the political boundary in a formerly cohesive foodshed generates 'edge effects' that affect (1) food safety, and (2) food waste, particularly in desert communities adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico border. We hypothesize that as these various boundary lines get 'out of register' with one another, their dissonance creates both unexpected impacts as well as opportunities for positive change. This initial analysis demonstrates how multiple (and often permeable) social, economic, and ecological edges intersect with food supply chain vulnerabilities and economic opportunities at the border. Drawing on examples from food safety and food waste surrounding the 'Ambos Nogales' port of entry on the Arizona-Sonora border, we document the ways in which the border produces ecological and social edge effects that are dissonant with the official legal boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste is a growing global sustainability challenge. The United States plays a major role in food waste generation and yet has seen limited progress toward significantly reducing the amount of food ultimately being landfilled. Circular economy offers a compelling alternative to the current linear management of food and food waste, but the U.S. also lacks comprehensive public policy that would enable circular economy in the food system. This article provides a systemic analysis of U.S. federal and state policy to identify whether current regulations and initiatives are helping or hindering circular food waste management. One key finding is that the U.S. has ambitious national goals and initiatives aimed at reducing and recovering wasted food, but these efforts are voluntary and lack enforcement mechanisms. Individual states have enacted a wide array of policies expected to both directly and indirectly influence wasted food generation and management, including highly variable requirements for food date labeling and using excess food as animal feed. The majority of U.S. states have policies in place that would support donation of excess food for human use, and a few actually mandate wasted food management through landfill bans or diversion targets. However, the heterogeneity inherent to the observed "patchwork" of state policies is expected to confound broader circular economy goals and potentially limit new business models and stakeholder participation. Therefore, high priorities for policy efforts include federal standardization of date labeling and regional harmonization of state rescue and redistribution policies to support efficient business implementation and compliance. • United States lacks comprehensive policy to enable circular economy for wasted food. • A handful of states have direct regulatory policies aimed at closing loops. • A heterogeneous policy patchwork may hinder circular economy efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a wide range of organizations in developed countries have embarked on efforts to address the economic, environmental and social impacts of “food waste.” Based on more than 120 interviews and complementary observations in the United States and France, this paper examines how recent mobilizations impact the way surplus food is actually managed with respect to sustainable production and consumption. This analysis of multiple stakeholders' interests and motives complements a growing literature on food waste prevention and management focused on technical evaluations of “solutions.” Recent frameworks on food surplus and waste establish one hierarchy of preferable categories of solutions: first, prevention (reducing surplus at the source), then recovery (reusing for human consumption) and finally recycling (feeding animals, creating energy or compost). Fieldwork results show that actors with different interests in food commodity chains actually develop competing solutions, both within and between three hierarchies based on environmental, social and economic goals. In the long term, the solutions they promote may therefore not achieve “win-win-win” benefits for all actors and at all scales. Drawing on a distinction between “weak” and “strong” sustainability, this paper argues that “strong” prevention based on holistic changes in the food system is the most sustainable solution to food surplus and waste. It suggests that academics focus on strong food surplus prevention, but also that advocates encourage government and corporate actors to differentiate between weak and strong actions to diffuse strong sustainability across organizations and countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food and food-related waste is a high priority in terms of waste minimisation in New Zealand. Over the summer of 2012–2013, a survey of 147 participants was conducted on a range of views and practices related to environmental challenges and understandings. The survey, undertaken in Palmerston North, New Zealand, captured a wide socio-demographic. This article focuses on respondents’ food practices from purchase, to plate, to disposal and the environmental implications of these practices. The survey data have allowed an enriched understanding of both individual and structural level challenges as well as incentives towards improving environmental practices in relation to household food waste minimisation. The results indicated that, in keeping with other research in this area, food waste increases according to the number of individuals in a household, and in particular the number of younger people. Also, while the majority of participants were at least “somewhat concerned” about their households’ environmental impact, over three quarters of participant households put food waste into their rubbish bin. Some solutions and directions to further progress research, policy, and practice in this area are offered, and include the need for more direct and personalised communication regarding waste minimisation, along with the provision of kerbside food waste collections. It is clear that individual- or household-level changes are important and must be supported systemically by both local body and state level legislation and initiatives, if there is to be any substantial decline in food waste going to landfill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the average level of seafood consumption in the United States (U.S.), the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages citizens to double their intake to improve the health of their diets. The future availability of seafood, however, is threatened by overfishing, unsustainable seafood farming practices, ocean pollution and acidification, and other factors. The growing global population and advancing ecological threats such as climate change are placing increasing demands and constraints on U.S. and global seafood supplies. Waste reduction has the potential to support increased seafood consumption without further stressing aquatic resources. It is essential to quantify waste levels in order to effectively target and design waste reduction interventions. Accordingly, we used previous multi-country regional research and updated datasets to calculate a country-specific (U.S.) estimate of seafood loss for the years 2009–2013. We estimate that 40–47% of the edible U.S. seafood supply went uneaten in this period. The greatest portions of this loss occurred at the levels of consumers (in and out of home) (51–63% of loss attributed to consumption), bycatch discarded by commercial fishers (16–32%), and in distribution and retail operations (13–16%). Based on conservative estimates, this waste represents 208 billion grams of protein, 1.8 trillion mg of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids (i.e., omega-3 fatty acids), and 1.1 trillion kilocalories. The seafood that is lost could fill 36% of the gap between current consumption and U.S. Department of Agriculture-recommended levels. As another way of understanding the magnitude of loss, this lost seafood could provide the total yearly target quantity of protein for 10.1 million men or 12.4 million women, EPA + DHA for 20.1 million adults, and calories for 1.5 million adults. The lost nutrition estimates we provide are meant to be illustrative of the issue’s significance and magnitude. While a significant portion of the loss could be prevented or recovered for human consumption, we do not intend to suggest that all of it could or should become food for humans. Bycatch is generally best left in the water; some seafood loss is not culturally acceptable, marketable, nutritious or safe; and a portion of loss is also unavoidable. Instead, we discuss waste prevention strategies involving governments, businesses, and consumers that can be employed to reduce seafood loss and create a more efficient and sustainable seafood system.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine characteristics potentially associated with school lunch fruit and vegetable waste, both overall and pre/post implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.Design: Multi-year (2010-2013) cross-sectional study using pre- and post-meal digital photographs of students' school lunch trays to estimate fruit and vegetable availability and consumption. Fruit and vegetable items were categorized for factors suspected to impact waste: prior farm to school years, placement (main menu, salad bar), procurement (local, conventional), preparation (cooked, raw) and meal component (entrée, side, topping). Analyses to assess within-category differences in waste volume were performed using a Tobit model.Setting: Wisconsin elementary schools participating in farm to school programmes, USA.Subjects: Children in third to fifth grade.Results: Many within-factor differences were detected overall and/or across time. Cooked fruits were wasted less than raw, while cooked vegetables were wasted more than raw. Where identified, locally sourced items were wasted more than conventionally sourced (+0·1 cups, P<0·0001) and salad bar items more than main menu items (+0·01 cups, P<0·0001). Increasing prior farm to school years decreased waste (-0·02 cups, P<0·0001). Items previously tried were wasted at the same volume whether reported as liked or not. New school lunch meal pattern requirement implementation did not uniformly impact fruit and vegetable waste across all categories and there was no change in waste for seven of fifteen assessed categories.Conclusions: Many factors impact elementary students' school lunch waste. These factors may be helpful for school food-service authorities to consider when planning school menus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acceptance of food with cosmetic imperfections could help reduce food waste. • Self-focused gains were chosen more frequently than pro-environmental considerations. • Goals related to gains deteriorated substantially in strength over time. • The goal to reduce environmental impact by buying suboptimal food was stable and not affected by information framing. • Consumer preferences for suboptimal food were attributable to goal type and goal strength. This study investigates how framing in relation to environmental consequences directs consumers to prioritize among gain, hedonic, and normative goals when accepting suboptimal food to reduce food waste. A random sample of 1,704 United States consumers completed a three-wave survey instrument, including repeated discrete choice experiments. Goals related to gains deteriorated substantially over time. Goals for reducing environmental impact by purchasing sub-optimal food were stronger and more time-invariant. There was no increase in goal strength for reduce environmental impact due to the type information provided. Furthermore, there was no support for a lower decrease across time in normative goal strength due to exposure to positive framing. There were combined effects of information and time, respectively. Five latent groups were identified. These results are relevant for actions to increase the acceptance of suboptimal food, finding that differences in consumer preferences are attributable to goal type and goal strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]