Danish consumers’ knowledge about and willingness to buy dairy products close to the best-before-date

More than 700,000 tons of food are wasted annually in Denmark where dairy products are among the 10 most wasted food products. Therefore, this study aims to analyze Danish consumers’ understanding of the best-before-date label and relational patterns for different knowledge-attitude-behavior factors influencing their willingness to buy (WTB) dairy products close to the best-before-date. Respondents (n = 436) from an online survey were segmented into four segments based on (i) their frequency of purchasing and (ii) their WTB dairy products close to the best-before-date: low/low (n = 53), medium/low (n149), medium/high (n = 190), and high/high (n = 44). All four segments had a relatively high understanding of the best-before-date label (total mean score = 2.43). For the medium/high and high/high segments, drivers for buying dairy products close to the best-before-date were avoidance of food waste, reduced price, and organic certification. However, the low/low and medium/low segments refrained from purchasing dairy products close to the best-before-date due to health concerns and low-quality perception and found them unappetizing. Furthermore, there seems to be a tendency for an age-dependent pattern. Older respondents (low/low and medium/low) had a higher risk perception than the younger respondents (medium/high and high/high). Consumers’ level of risk perception and food disgust sensitivity are the actual drivers or barriers for consumers’ WTB dairy products close to the best-before-date and not their level of knowledge. The results obtained from this study contribute valuable insights into consumer values and can be crucial for developing strategies to reduce food waste in an environment where consumers make their purchasing decisions.