Reducing household food and drink waste Date labels and storage guidance Project findings. May 2011

Transcription

1 Reducing household food and drink waste Date labels and storage guidance Project findings May 2011

2 Presentation outline Background Methodology Recommendations and evidence Potential impact

3 Food safety Food safety is paramount All our recommendations are made with food safety in mind and have been shared with the FSA

4 Background This section summarises the insights, which led to the formulation of this research project

5 1. Household food and drink waste in the UK Published Nov 2009 Key finding storage behaviours and use of date labels are factors in household food waste e.g. 380,000 t thrown away because it has passed a use by date

6 Other evidence (date labels) A fifth of avoidable food waste (by weight) was out of date (WRAP; 2008) 34% of respondents attributed food waste to food going past the date on the label (Brook Lyndhurst; 2007) Past its use by date main reason for throwing away food, mentioned (unprompted) by 33% of respondents (IGD; 2007)

7 Other evidence (date labels) Since 2006, the FSA has sought to track the extent to which consumers understand what the different date marks mean. This is summarised on the following 3 slides NB due to question change, the data is not directly comparable

8 (correct) (correct) Use by/best before dates (prompted) Q35 What do you understand the term use by date on a food product to mean? Q36 And what do you understand the term best before date on a food product to mean? Use by date Best before date It depends on the food % It will be at its best quality before this date but is not necessarily unsafe It will be safe to eat up to this date, but should not be eaten past this date Base: All respondents (2627) FSA Consumer Attitudes Survey 2006, 2007 comparison =Sig. at 95%

9 FSA Public Attitudes to Food Survey (published 30/01/2009)

10 Food and You Survey 2010 (Published 02/03/2011) Q4.19 Which of these indicates food is safe to eat? (multi-code) Use by date (62% use by with another date, 44% use by on its own) Best before date (31%) Display until date (4%), Sell by date (9%) 75% always check use by dates when buying food (Q4.21) 25% use the use by date to tell if food is safe to eat (Q4.18)

11 Previous evidence (storage behaviours) Shelf-life expectations are influenced by storage behaviours (Brook Lyndhurst; 2008, WRAP; 2010) Some products stored in less than optimum conditions Bread in fridge 10% Apples out of the fridge 78%

12 2. WRAP Retailer Survey 2009 Published May 2010 Key finding some inconsistency in date marks used and storage guidance given on-pack Data summarised on the following 6 slides

13 Retailer survey 2009 findings (1/6) Use of date marks Use by Best before Base Bacon 92% 8% 521 Yoghurts 77% 23% 1190 Cheese 25% 74% 699 World bread 13% 86% 709

14 Use of stock control dates (2/6) Use by Use by, display until Base Chicken (fresh) 43% 57% 276 Milk 43% 57% 411 Bagged salad 38% 62% 141 Cooking sauce (chilled) 31% 69% 90 Ready meals (chilled) 24% 76% 339 Ham 22% 78% 552 Carrots (prepared) 13% 87% 113

15 Use of stock control dates (3/6) Best before Best before, display until Chicken (frozen) 67% 43% 46 Ready meals (frozen) 80% 19% 99 Base Bread 59% 41% 846 Bread rolls 59% 35% 620 Cooking sauce (ambient) 96% Rice 99% Pasta 93% - 324

16 Use of stock control dates (4/6) Best before, display until Display until only Base Carrots (uncut) 66% 19% 291 Potatoes 67% 25% 159 Apples 46% 12% 101

17 Storage instructions (5/6) Where to store Sliced bread: 43% not in fridge, 16% in fridge Carrots: 91% in fridge, 9% in cool, dark place How long to store Milk: within 2 days (68%), 3 days (9%) Ham: within 2 days (79%), 3 days (15%) Cheese: within 3 days (23%), 5 (7%), 7 (26%)

18 Freezing instructions (6/6) Freeze on day of purchase >80% As soon as possible 18% (bread) Snowflake logo 95% ready meals 92% chicken 71% bread 44% bread rolls 4% milk

19 3. Understanding consumer use of the freezer Published August 2010 Key finding some confusion in understanding and use of storage guidance Further detail provided on the following slide

20 Freezer use research - findings 50% read the label to determine what to freeze One in 20 look for the snowflake logo Half (54%) understand the snowflake 59% freeze on the day of purchase Drivers: food safety (50%), quality (33%) and on-pack guidance (19%) Many (35%; frozen veg - 55%; frozen meat) wouldn't eat frozen food beyond the date on the pack because of food safety concerns

21 Methodology

22 Research questions How are date labels and storage guidance understood and used by consumers? What are the implications of this for household food waste? What impact could changes to labelling have on food waste? How could food date and storage information be made more valuable to consumers / communicated in order to reduce food waste?

23 Research components

24 Recommendations and evidence: Storage guidance The four recommendations are presented, followed by the detailed evidence

25 Summary: Storage guidance recommendations 1. Enhance existing storage guidance (aim for explicit, specific information) 2. Lengthen once opened use within x days where possible 3. Include snowflake logo with explanatory text on suitable products 4. Move to alternatives to freeze on day of purchase where possible

26 Overarching findings Storage behaviours highly habitual / learned common sense Social norms / personal preferences Reported use of guidance high (82%; always, most of the time ) Different types have different value At home: where: 80%, how long: 65% In-store: 41% Used to different degrees by different people

27 1. Enhance existing storage guidance Explicit / specific guidance preferred e.g. in a fridge vs. keep chilled Ca. 90% find on-pack guidance useful Used in combination with own judgement (60% make storage decisions based on own judgement vs. 40% using on-pack guidance) Changes would influence behaviour over time

28 2. Lengthen once opened use within x days where possible Reportedly used / valued Use reflects attitude to risk Rules of thumb Some confusion: safety or quality guideline M: If it says use within three days, if I ve stored it in the fridge I m less bothered about keeping it for five days because I m thinking well I ve stored it properly, use within three days they probably mean within a week it s going to be fine. MALE, 44, A, NOTTINGHAM

29 % (of 2,227, the total number of food items thrown away) Concerns about food being opened too long can drive food waste It looked/smelt off It had been opened too long I didn't like/want to eat it It was after the date on the label I replaced it with a new one I had nowhere to store it Reasons given for throwing food items away, rated as important (score of either 4 or 5) Relative frequency of reasons given for why food items were thrown away in the kitchen diary

30 Testing longer once opened use within x days labelling in the online survey Q: Looking at the storage guidance for these products, which, if any, of would you be most likely to buy?

31 Results: Sliced ham (1/3) 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Option 1 - Once opened, consume within 2 days Option 2 - Once opened, consume within 3 days No preference Not applicable - I never buy this I don't look at this information for this product

32 Results: Milk (2/3) 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Option 1 - consume within 2 days of opening Option 2 - consume within 3 days of opening Option 3 - consume within 4 days of opening No preference Not applicable - I never buy this I don't look at this information for this product

33 Results: Pasta sauce (ambient) (3/3) 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Option 1 - refrigerate after opening for up to five days Option 2 - refrigerate after opening for up to seven days No preference Not applicable - I never buy this I don't look at this information for this product

34 Conclusion (recommendation 2) Majority would purchase products with longer use within periods This would influence behaviour over time Differences in labelling between similar products can undermine confidence Most relevant for new purchases and the most risk averse consumers (between 10-20%)

35 3. Include snowflake logo with explanatory text on suitable products Q: What do you think this logo means? (Online survey) 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Snowflake logo Snowflake logo with text most useful 1% most useful 89%

36 4. Move to alternatives to freeze on day of purchase where possible Freeze on day of purchase familiar and followed Some confusion: safety or quality guideline Common form of on-pack freezing guidance W: For some reason things always say freeze on day of purchase, even though I don t know how it knows when you bought it. So that s one thing I always do. I would never have something in the fridge for a week and then freeze it. FEMALE, 25, D, SOMERSET

37 There is no food safety risk in moving away from freeze on day of purchase FSA have agreed that for safety, it s ok to freeze most raw / cooked food providing you freeze it before the use by date use it within 24 hours of defrosting

38 Example: Cottage pie ready meal use by date of 5/3/11 Stored in fridge Stored in freezer 2/3/11 Food purchased 4/3/11 (latest) Product frozen Defrosted and used within 24 hours

39 Testing alternatives to freeze on day of purchase in the online survey Label Freeze before / date mark Q: Please indicate when you would be happy to freeze this product?

40 Freeze on day of purchase Freeze before/date mark Freeze on day of purchase Freeze before/date mark Freeze on day of purchase Freeze before/date mark Freeze on day of purchase Freeze before/date mark % Results Q: Please indicate when you would be happy to freeze this? Only on the day I bought it Any time before the date on the label Bacon Bread rolls Ready meals Fresh chicken breast fillets Note: the survey was tested with freeze by / use by and freeze before / best before labels, but following industry feedback WRAP guidance has been amended to freeze before / use by.

41 To ensure product quality once defrosted meets consumer \ brand expectations freeze as soon as possible could be used

42 Conclusion (recommendation 4) Ca. 35% consumers will make use of flexibility offered by freeze before / date mark guidance Product type has influence Not encouraging people to freeze later but giving them flexibility Food bought specifically to freeze at home, will still be frozen on day of purchase

43 Recommendations and evidence: Date labels The four recommendations are presented, followed by the detailed evidence

44 Summary: Date label recommendations 1. Continue to clarify the meaning of best before and use by 2. Remove display until dates 3. Aim for consistent date type use within product categories, where appropriate 4. Investigate label redesign to make them easier to interpret

45 Overarching findings (1/4) Date labels are valued Used in-store (75% always / most of the time ) aids selection of the freshest or best product so that they have as long as possible to use food up Used in-home disposal decisions (see next slide)

46 % (of 2,227, the total number of food items thrown away) Date labels used in ca. 30% of disposal decisions but 80% of decisions about yoghurt and eggs It looked/smelt off It had been opened too long I didn't like/want to eat it It was after the date on the label I replaced it with a new one I had nowhere to store it Reasons given for throwing food items away, rated as important (score of either 4 or 5) Relative frequency of important reasons given for why food items were thrown away in the kitchen diary

47 Overarching findings (3/4) Understanding is product specific (see next slide) Use strongly correlated to attitude to risk Used in conjunction with own judgement / ability to judge important (i.e. sensory cues) W: I tend to use the date as a guideline and will eat some foods past that date, apart from meat, eggs etc. FEMALE, 27, C1, NOTTINGHAM

48 Q: How do you make decisions about when to eat or throw away? Criteria Chicken Milk Yoghurt Cheese I rely entirely / mostly on the date Bread rolls Potatoes I rely on a mixture of the date and my own judgement I rely entirely / mostly on my own judgement

49 1. Continue to clarify the meaning of best before and use by Technical understanding vs. working definition i.e. extent to which technical understanding used in decisions Influencing technical understanding will have an impact; degree of impact dependent on type of person / product

50 Technical understanding good, but some confusion <25% would benefit from improved understanding Older people more likely incorrectly to cite quality for use by (30% for 65+ compared to 17% for 18-24) and less likely to correctly cite safety (68% vs. 85%)

51 But presence of display until lowers understanding of best before and use by (see next slide) 2. Remove display until dates Display until dates are well understood

52 Presence of display until lowers understanding Older people more likely incorrectly to cite quality for use by / display until label format (48% for 65+ compared to 21% for 18-24)

53 NB, some preference for the display until date, in terms of usefulness Complicating factor, no explanation evident, but could be due to familiarity or used with best before as quality indicator

54 WRAP Retailer Survey 2009 Stock control dates not universally used Use by Use by, display until Base Chicken (fresh) 43% 57% 276 Milk 43% 57% 411 Bagged salad 38% 62% 141 Cooking sauce (chilled) 31% 69% 90 Ready meals (chilled) 24% 76% 339 Ham 22% 78% 552 Carrots (prepared) 13% 87% 113

55 Changes are happening

56 Conclusion (recommendation 2) Presence of display until lowers understanding of best before and use by Particularly for older people Some consumers say they find display until dates useful, likely linked to familiarity Stock control dates are not universally used Some retailers / brands have already taken display until off products

57 3. Aim for consistent date type use within product categories, where appropriate Q: When would you be happy to eat? (Online survey)

58 Results Product has a significant influence on date use Date type also has a strong effect

59 4. Investigate label redesign to make them easier to interpret Simple Clear Interviewees gave the impression that they found date labels over-complicated and that the effort required to understand the detail outweighed any perceived potential benefits.

60 Additional detail around date reduced understanding

61 Discussion: Date labels on fruit and vegetables Uncut fruit and vegetables don t legally require a date mark Current approach (BB, DU, BB/DU) is varied (see Retailer Survey) Would removing dates help reduce household food waste?

62 Date labels on fruit and vegetables It was past the date on the label rated as important in just 11% of fruit disposal decisions (kitchen diary) Almost 50% said they would eat potatoes any time after the date on the label if they looked and smelt ok 70% said they mostly or entirely use their own judgement in deciding whether or not to eat or throw potatoes away

63 Testing the impact of removing dates from fresh fruit and vegetables 45% 40% 35% 30% Most comfortable Total sample Least comfortable - households with children 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% Very comfortable Quite comfortable Neither/ nor Quite uncomfortable Very uncomfortable Q: How comfortable would you be buying fresh fruit and vegetables if they did not have a date label? (Online survey)

64 However 63% of respondents claimed to always read date labels when buying fresh fruit and vegetables (WRAP 2008) Households with children least comfortable with removing dates (25% quite / very uncomfortable) The main motivation behind using date labels in-store is to select the freshest and best product

65 Date labels on uncut fruit and vegetables Recommendation: Simplify dates in the short term (i.e. move to one) Carry out trials to investigate the impact of any change to dates (work with / involve WRAP) Act to provide enhanced info on storage and meaning of whatever date is used

66 Summary

67 Overarching recommendations Continue to build skills and confidence around food Key to maximising the effectiveness of any changes to date labels and / or storage guidance is effective communication Communication needs to be tailored to age, products

68 Summary: Storage guidance recommendations 1. Enhance existing storage guidance (aim for explicit, specific information) 2. Lengthen once opened use within x days where possible 3. Include snowflake logo with explanatory text on suitable products 4. Move to alternatives to freeze on day of purchase where possible

69 Summary: Date label recommendations 1. Continue to clarify the meaning of best before and use by 2. Remove display until dates 3. Aim for consistent date type use within product categories, where appropriate 4. Investigate label redesign to make them easier to interpret

70 Potential impact

71 Recommendation 1. Enhance existing storage guidance Impact 1. Optimise storage behaviours e.g. reduce: -11% storing bread in the fridge -78% storing apples out of the fridge -ca. 70% with fridges at temperatures >5 o C 2. Lengthen once opened use within x days where possible 2. Give the risk averse (between 10-20% respondents) longer

72 Recommendation 3. Include snowflake logo with explanatory text on suitable products Impact 3. Improve understanding by 20% points, to 80% 4. Move to alternatives to freeze on day of purchase where possible 4. Give consumers the flexibility to freeze later, reducing the 380,000 tonnes of food thrown away because it has passed a use by date

73 Recommendation 1. Continue to clarify the meaning of best before and use by Impact 1. Further increase the proportion with a correct technical understanding (reduce 14% treating best before as use by ) 2. Remove display until dates 2. Improved understanding of the main food dates (understanding reduced by 15% points for best before, 7% points for use by when display until added to the label)

74 Recommendation 3. Aim for consistent date type use within product categories, where appropriate Impact 3. A higher proportion indicated they would eat cheese labelled best before after the date than cheese labelled use by 4. Investigate label redesign to make them easier to interpret 4. Technical understanding reduced by up to 11% points when codes e.g. lot codes, were introduced

75 Estimating overarching impact Based on kitchen diary data: Those who used storage guidance (52%) wasted ca. 15% less on average than those who didn t (48%) Those who kept an eye on dates at home / took notice of them in-store (49%) wasted ca. 20% less on average than those who were very focused on dates (39%)* * Remaining 13% never used date labels

76 Contact us for more information