One-third of all food globally goes to waste, significantly impacting the sustainability and economics of food production and consumption. With rising inflation and increased pressure on supply chains and costs of supply inputs, prioritising waste management has become imperative.
New research from Kerry, collected over 5000 quantitive and 60 one-on-one quantitative deep dive perspectives from across ten different countries, has revealed that 98 percent of consumers are actively trying to reduce food waste, the leading reason for which is to waste less money (70 percent). The second leading reason comes from concern and care for the environment (59 percent), the third from a guilt complex over those who are left hungry without any other options or choice (52 percent), and finally, individuals' general lifestyle and upbringing (46 percent).
Kerry's research also unveiled that more than a third of consumers are unafraid of switching brands or products with alternatives that have a longer shelf life, underpinning declining brand loyalty.
A staggering 72 percent of consumers agreed that extending the shelf life of food or drinks would help them reduce waste, whether by mould, spoilage, or past expiration dates. The leading drivers behind the motivation to mitigate food waste are linked to food protection and preservation.
Thirty percent of consumers regularly throw away bread, and 42 percent throw away meat. For meat in particular, consumers are more nervous knowing when meat is safe to consume, which creates unnecessary waste, with the leading reason behind meat waste being that it smells spoiled (42 percent), has expired (34 percent), fears that its unsafe (34 percent) and doesn't look fresh (33 percent).
Investment in preservation and shelf-life was key to addressing these consumer concerns and reducing wastage in these categories. The current waste accumulated is damaging for brands as they can develop negative associations with the food they discard that they have spent money on, leading them to choose alternatives that have a longer shelf life and preservation standards that align with their needs.
Kerry's research showed that 91 percent of consumers are adopting new purchase patterns to reduce their food waste, including purchasing small quantities, reading expiration dates before purchase and, more importantly, switching brands if it means wasting less.
