Food waste is one of the most significant issues related to the global food system. The FAO estimates that one third of edible food is wasted each year worldwide. This figure is alarming when we consider that hunger has not yet been eradicated globally (as was the goal of the UN’s “Zero Hunger” initiative), and that this waste has major economic and environmental consequences, especially in times of unsustainable food production. Most food waste is generated in households, which highlights the urgent need to develop strategies against waste focused on food management within the home.
Given the importance of this issue, scientists from various fields have taken on food waste as an urgent problem to solve, raising questions such as: How is food purchased, prepared, and consumed in ways that generate waste? How do people decide what is edible and what is discarded? How are leftovers managed before they become waste? What attitudes and perceptions do people have toward leftovers? With these questions systematically identified and studied, the approach to food waste has become multidisciplinary, analyzing how production and consumption systems contribute to or hinder waste, and examining from a behavioral perspective why people generate waste from food that is not spoiled, even though this creates a deficit in household economy. Therefore, it is essential to delve into consumers’ opinions and representations about leftovers, as this has shown that more effective strategies can be designed to promote behavioral change and prevent waste.
When we explore these representations (thoughts, opinions, or beliefs people hold), we understand that the issue of leftovers is more complex: many people believe that leftovers consist of food that has lost all its freshness and appeal, or simply find it boring to repeat the same “reheated” meal, for example. Other social norms prevent reuse; for instance, serving leftovers to guests at home is not well perceived. In other cases, the changing appearance of leftovers makes them less appetizing, or there is a lack of knowledge about preservation techniques to keep food safe.
It has also been identified that sociodemographic factors make a difference: women feel more uncomfortable discarding leftovers compared to men (probably due to social conditioning), and young people are the least willing to reuse leftovers. Reusing food undoubtedly also requires the development of culinary skills. Understanding the implications of all these factors surrounding food waste is fundamental to designing strategies and interventions that are suitable for consumers to adopt different ways of avoiding food waste.
— This article was originally published in Spanish by Liliana Martínez Lomelí. Translation generated with AI from the original text.
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