Household food wastage in Britain

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutrition
• Environmental Science

Background:

• The United Kingdom has a substantial surplus of available food energy (13 MJ/person/day) compared to recommended intake (9.6 MJ/person/day).
• A significant portion of this discrepancy is attributed to food wastage across the supply chain, including domestic settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the amount and energy content of potentially edible food wasted in British households.
• To investigate the contribution of household food waste to the overall food gap in the UK.

Main Methods:

• A representative sample of 672 British households (338 in summer, 334 in winter) recorded all potentially edible food wasted over one week.
• Collected food samples were weighed, and their energy content was determined calorimetrically.
• Food given to pets and wild birds was also recorded.

Main Results:

• Significantly more food waste occurred in summer (9.3 MJ/household/week) than in winter (7.1 MJ/household/week).
• Cereals, fat, and meat were the largest contributors to energy wastage, while milk contributed most by weight.
• Food given to pets and birds added an average of 2.4 MJ/household/week (summer) and 3.0 MJ/household/week (winter).
• Total household food waste averaged 11.7 MJ/household/week (summer) and 10.1 MJ/household/week (winter), equating to 0.6 MJ/person/day (summer) and 0.5 MJ/person/day (winter).
• Wastage represented 6.5% of energy intake in summer and 5.4% in winter.
• Family composition influenced waste; adults wasted more than children, and larger households wasted less per person. Income and region had minimal impact.

Conclusions:

• Household food waste is a significant factor in the UK's food energy surplus, though it accounts for less than a quarter of the total gap.
• Seasonal variations and family structure influence the patterns of domestic food waste.