Food waste and date marking Survey conducted by TNS political & social This document does not represent the point of view of the European Commission. The interpretations and opinions contained in it are solely those of the authors. Fieldwork Publication October 2015 Survey requested by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety Survey co-ordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication
Food waste and date marking Survey conducted by TNS political & social at the request of the European Commission, Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety Survey co-ordinated by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Communication (DG COMM Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer Unit)
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 2 MAIN FINDINGS 4 I. PREVENTING FOOD WASTE 5 1 Who should act to prevent food waste 5 2 How to reduce food waste at home 9 II. USE BY AND BEST BEFORE DATES 13 1 Frequency of looking at use by and best before dates 13 2 Understanding of best before labelling 16 3 Understanding of use by labelling 18 III. NEED FOR BEST BEFORE LABELLING ON NON-PERISHABLE FOODS 21 IV. PRODUCT USAGE IN ABSENCE OF BEST BEFORE LABELLING 23 V. USE OF STORAGE GUIDANCE INFORMATION ON FOOD LABELS 26 SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS 29 CONCLUSIONS 30 ANNEXES Technical specifications Questionnaire Tables 1
INTRODUCTION The European Union has identified resource efficiency and waste management as key elements of EU environmental policy and the Europe 2020 strategy 1. The Commission is currently reflecting on the scope of a new, more ambitious Circular Economy package 2 to be published by the end of 2015 and considers it as a possible opportunity for further actions aimed at strengthening resource efficiency in the food chain and preventing food waste. This survey seeks to understand citizens perceptions, attitudes and practices related to the management and consumption of food resources, and more specifically, to investigate the role of date marking found on food labelling in relation to food waste. Findings from this study will help inform possible future policy making in this area 3. The first section of the report provides an overview of citizens attitudes towards the prevention of food waste. The first part presents information on citizens views about the general responsibility of specific actors, ranging from the individual to food producers to public authorities, in helping to reduce food waste. The second part identifies specific actions that citizens feel would help them reduce the wasting of food in their own homes. The rest of the report focuses on citizens attention to, understanding and use of date marking on the labels of food products. Date marking 4 is a widespread and important tool to help ensure consumer safety, but can, if misunderstood, contribute to the problem of food waste by encouraging consumers to throw out goods that are still fit for consumption. This section of the report starts by presenting information on the attention citizens pay to use by and best before labelling on items of food. It then examines the extent to which citizens across the Member States correctly understand the meaning of these dates. The report then turns to the issue of the labelling of non-perishable foods. EU food labelling rules currently define a list of nonperishable foods for which the indication of a minimum durability (i.e. "best before") date is not required given that such foods can be consumed safely and their quality does not deteriorate over time (e.g. vinegar, sugar, salt). First, it examines respondents attitudes to the necessity of best before labelling for foods which do not significantly deteriorate in quality. Secondly, it presents information on citizens habits concerning the use and possible disposal of non-perishable food were it not to be labelled with best before information. Finally, the study examines another aspect of date labelling in relation to food use in the home; that is how citizens utilise storage guidelines found on food labelling. Some food manufacturers give guidance to consumers about how long certain foods can be used after opening. The report examines whether, and to what extent, citizens act in accordance with these guidelines. This survey was carried out by TNS political & social network in the 28 Member States of the European Union between 1 and 3 September 2015. Some 26,601 respondents from different social and demographic groups were interviewed via telephone (landline and mobile phone) in their mother tongue on behalf of the European Commission, Directorate General for Health and Food Safety. The methodology used is that of Eurobarometer surveys as carried out by the Directorate-General for Communication ( Strategy, Corporate Communication Actions and Eurobarometer Unit) 5.. 1 http://ec.europa.eu/resource-efficient-europe/pdf/resource_efficient_europe_en.pdf 2 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/circular-economy/index_en.htm 3 http://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/food_waste/index_en.htm 4 Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers 5 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm 2
Note: In this report, countries are referred to by their official abbreviation. The abbreviations used in this report correspond to: Belgium BE Latvia LV Czech Republic CZ Luxembourg LU Bulgaria BG Hungary HU Denmark DK Malta MT Germany DE The Netherlands NL Estonia EE Austria AT Greece EL Poland PL Spain ES Portugal PT France FR Romania RO Croatia HR Slovenia SI Ireland IE Slovakia SK Italy IT Finland FI Republic of Cyprus* CY Sweden SE Lithuania LT United Kingdom UK European Union weighted average for the 28 Member States BE, IT, FR, DE, LU, NL, DK, UK, IE, PT, ES, EL, AT, SE, FI BG, CZ, EE, HR, CY, LT, LV, MT, HU, PL, RO, SI, SK** BE, FR, IT, LU, DE, AT, ES, PT, IE, NL, FI, EL, EE, SI, CY, MT, SK, LV, LT BG, CZ, DK, HR, HU, PL, RO, SE, UK EU28 EU15 NMS13 Euro area Non euro area * Cyprus as a whole is one of the 28 European Union Member States. However, the acquis communautaire has been suspended in the part of the country which is not controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus. For practical reasons, only the interviews carried out in the part of the country controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus are included in the CY category and in the EU28 average. ** EU15 refers to the 15 countries forming the European Union before the enlargements of 2004 and 2007. *** The NMS13 are the 13 new Member States which joined the European Union during the 2004, 2007 and 2013 enlargements. We wish to thank all the people interviewed throughout Europe who took the time to take part in this survey. Without their active participation, this survey would not have been possible. 3
MAIN FINDINGS The majority of Europeans recognise that they themselves have a role to play in preventing food waste. Over threequarters (76%) of Europeans think that the individual consumer is one of the actors involved in the prevention of food waste, compared with less than a half (49%) who consider that the state has a role to play. Europeans also highlight the important role of economic actors in the food supply chain, identifying the responsibility of shops and retailers (62%), the hospitality and food service sectors (62%) as well as food manufacturers (52%). The majority of Europeans also emphasise individual responsibility when it comes to ways to reduce food waste, with nearly two thirds (63%) saying that better shopping and meal planning would contribute to the reduction of waste. Clearer information regarding date marking and on food labels more generally (e.g. food storage and preparation) is cited by nearly one in two respondents as a means of preventing household food waste. However, there are significant differences between countries on this question. Nearly six in ten Europeans (58%) state that they always check use by and best before labels when shopping and preparing meals, with very few indicating that they never do (only 3%). Young people are significantly less likely to check these labels: just over four in ten (44%) of those aged between 15 and 24 do this, compared with over six in ten (61%) of those aged 55 or over. The Eurobarometer findings confirm that the meaning of date marking found on food products is poorly understood. Just under half (47%) of Europeans understand the meaning of best before labelling and somewhat fewer (40%) are aware of the meaning of use by. In both cases, a quarter or more think, incorrectly, that the meaning of date marking differs according to the type of food for which it is used. There is significant country-level divergence in both awareness and conceptual understanding of "use by" and "best before" labelling. When asked about the meaning of these two types of dates, in some countries, notably Romania and Greece, a large majority gave the use by definition in both cases, whereas in others, such as Sweden, a majority gave the best before definition in both cases. There are also significant sociodemographic differences on this question. Those aged between 25 and 39 are more likely than people in other age groups to know the meaning of best before (53%) and use by (46%) dates. The same is true for people who left education at an older age: 53% of those who left education at the age of 20 or older know the meaning of best before, compared with 36% of those who left education aged 15 years or under. The difference is less pronounced with respect to knowledge of the meaning of use by, with 43% and 36%, respectively. Less than half (44%) of Europeans say that they would miss best before labelling if it were no longer found on certain non-perishable foods. Nearly six in ten (58%) respondents in Member States that entered the EU from 2004 onwards (NMS 13 countries) would prefer "best before" labelling to remain, compared with only four in ten (40%) in EU15 countries. Over two thirds (70%) of Europeans state that if they found a package of spaghetti in their kitchen cupboard without "best before" labelling, they would utilise the food regardless of the absence of date marking. People are more likely to throw away food without date marking in countries where there is uncertainty over the meaning of best before dates, such as Greece (50%), Bulgaria (47%) and Cyprus (44%). Most people continue to use opened food products after the recommended storage period indicated on the label has passed. Nearly six in ten (59%) give this reply, compared with just under a third (31%) who throw food away after the stipulated date. 4
I. PREVENTING FOOD WASTE The first set of questions concerns public attitudes towards the prevention of food waste. First, respondents were asked to identify the actors which according to them should play a role in preventing food waste 6. They were then asked to indicate which actions would help them to reduce food waste at home 7. The latter question was asked in a slightly different wording in a previous survey 8. 1 Who should act to prevent food waste - Most consumers recognise their own role in food waste prevention The majority of people living in the European Union are aware that the prevention of food waste is something for which the individual consumer bears responsibility, along with other actors. Over three quarters (76%) of respondents said that consumers themselves have a role to play in preventing food waste. Over six in ten (62%) also refer to those actors who sell food directly to the consumer, such as shops, hotels and restaurants. Only just over half (52%) thought that food manufacturers were also responsible for reducing levels of waste, while less than a third (30%) of respondents thought that farmers should be involved in curbing food waste. And finally, almost half (49%) thought that the state should be involved. 6 Q1. In Europe, about 100 million tonnes of food are wasted annually. Which of the following actors do you think have a role to play in preventing food waste? MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE Farmers, Food manufacturers, Shops and retailers, Hospitality and food service sectors (hotels, restaurants, hospitals, etc.), Public authorities, Consumers, people like you, Don t know/not applicable. 7 Q2. What would help you to reduce food waste at home? MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE Better and clearer information on the meaning of "best before" and "use by" dates indicated on food labels, Better and clearer information on food product labels (e.g. information on food storage and preparation), Better shopping and meal planning by your household, Availability of smaller portion sizes in shops, Using up leftovers instead of throwing them away, Using the freezer to preserve food longer, Other, Don t know/not applicable. 8 Flash Eurobarometer 388 (http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_388_en.pdf) 5
There were some significant differences at the country level, although in most cases a majority of respondents acknowledged the responsibility of the individual. In 27 of the 28 Member States, a majority of those polled said that consumers had a role to play in preventing food waste. The exception was Lithuania, where less than half (44%) gave this answer. In most cases, consumers were the actors with the highest mentions: in the United Kingdom, Finland and Austria over nine in ten (93%) said that individuals had a role to play in combatting food waste. There was more variation in the case of shops and the food services sector. In France and Finland, nine in ten (90%) of those polled said that shops and retailers had a role to play in preventing food waste, compared with only just over a quarter (27%) of respondents in Greece, and less than a third in Cyprus (30%), Italy (32%) and Malta (32%). Similar country differences can be seen in the case of the hospitality and food service sectors. In the United Kingdom (86%), Finland (84%) and Portugal (81%) over eight in ten of those polled said that hotels, restaurants and hospitals had a role to play in preventing food waste, but in Lithuania less than a fifth (19%) of respondents mentioned these actors. Again, there was widespread variation in the case of food manufacturers. In Belgium, over three quarters (77%) said that manufacturers had a role to play in preventing food waste, and nearly three quarters (73%) of those polled in the United Kingdom gave the same response. By contrast, less than a fifth of respondents in Slovakia (16%) and Lithuania (19%) said that food manufacturers were responsible for tackling this problem. There was a wide variation in the perception of the role of public authorities. In 19 of the 28 Member States only a minority of those polled identified the state as an actor in food waste prevention. The proportion was highest in Spain, where over three quarters (77%) of respondents identified the state as responsible, and nearly three quarters (74%) of those surveyed in France gave this answer. At the other end of the scale, just over one in ten (13%) of respondents in Slovakia said that public authorities had a role to play. In the case of farmers, country differences were not so large, although they were still significant. In all but one case, farmers were the least mentioned category. Only in Portugal (52%) did a majority of respondents say that farmers have a role to play. Elsewhere, the proportion varied between just over four in ten (43%) of respondents in Finland and only just over one in ten (12%) of those polled in Lithuania and Italy. 6
Q1 In Europe, about 100 million tonnes of food are wasted annually. Which of the following actors do you think have a role to play in preventing food waste? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (%) Consumers, people like you Shops and retailers Hospitality and food service sectors (hotels, restaurants, hospitals, etc.) Food manufacturers Public authorities Farmers Don't know EU28 76 62 62 52 49 30 2 BE 82 82 78 77 66 35 1 BG 52 41 46 29 23 22 8 CZ 78 50 43 27 30 17 3 DK 85 68 59 51 44 27 1 DE 82 58 53 51 39 32 3 EE 62 61 41 34 37 18 3 IE 71 52 58 33 28 21 1 EL 66 27 33 23 35 23 4 ES 75 70 80 70 77 39 0 FR 89 90 78 70 74 39 0 HR 65 56 51 41 43 30 2 IT 53 32 46 30 18 12 3 CY 76 30 36 22 28 17 1 LV 61 64 53 44 38 28 2 LT 44 39 19 19 26 12 9 LU 84 74 67 60 57 30 0 HU 77 36 44 32 34 22 2 MT 62 32 59 29 30 22 4 NL 86 65 74 51 47 34 1 AT 93 83 79 68 57 37 0 PL 65 51 50 43 47 30 2 PT 77 66 81 58 63 52 4 RO 67 45 37 37 29 26 5 SI 57 50 40 22 23 18 3 SK 51 41 23 16 13 15 6 FI 93 90 84 68 61 43 1 SE 88 75 66 58 58 28 1 UK 93 87 86 73 69 37 0 Highest percentage per country Highest percentage per item Lowest percentage per country Lowest percentage per item 7
There were very few significant socio-demographic differences in this question. The most noteworthy one concerns the perception of consumer responsibility to reduce food waste. Just over eight in ten (81%) of those who finished their education at the age of 20 or above said that individuals have a role to play, but only two thirds (66%) of those who finished their education at or before the age of 15 gave this answer. Manual workers (71%) and those not working (73%) were also somewhat less likely to give this response than employees (82%). Q1 In Europe, about 100 million tonnes of food are wasted annually. Which of the following actors do you think have a role to play in preventing food waste? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (% - EU) Consumers, people like you Shops and retailers Hospitality and food service sectors (hotels, restaurants, hospitals, etc.) Food manufacturers Public authorities Farmers Don't know EU28 76 62 62 52 49 30 2 Sex Male 74 61 60 52 48 29 2 Female 78 64 65 52 49 31 2 Age 15-24 74 60 61 51 45 25 1 25-39 78 64 63 54 51 29 1 40-54 78 63 62 54 51 31 2 55 + 75 61 62 50 48 32 3 Education (End of) 15-66 60 63 49 47 31 5 16-19 75 60 61 50 46 29 2 20+ 81 64 63 54 53 31 1 Still studying 77 63 60 52 47 27 1 Respondent occupation scale Self-employed 76 60 61 49 50 29 1 Employee 82 66 65 56 54 31 1 Manual workers 71 59 56 50 42 25 2 Not working 73 60 62 50 47 31 3 8
2 How to reduce food waste at home - Nearly two thirds mention better food management at home as the main way of reducing food waste. Nearly half highlight the need for clearer information on the meaning of date marking and on food labels more generally - Respondents again emphasised the role of the individual when asked about methods of reducing food waste, to an extent echoing the findings from the previous question. Nearly two thirds (63%) of those polled said that food waste can be reduced by individual consumers making better decisions when shopping and planning meals, and by making use of leftovers rather than discarding them, while over half (56%) said that they could reduce food waste by making use of the freezer. With respect to the role of other actors, just over half (54%) thought that waste could be reduced if shops sold food in smaller portions. Nearly one in two point to the need for better and clearer information about best before and use by dates (49%) or about how to store and prepare food (46%). The general emphasis on individual responsibility remains consistent with the findings of a previous survey conducted in December 2013 9, despite changes in question wording. In December 2013 six in ten (60%) of those surveyed said that they could waste less food by making more use of the freezer, and just under six in ten (59%) said that they could re-use leftovers, although only just under half (49%) mentioned better planning of food purchases. FL425 9 http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_388_en.pdf 9
FL388 December 2013 There were considerable country-level differences on this question, although in the majority of cases the most frequently mentioned actions were those performed by the consumer. In 18 of the 28 Member States, the largest proportion of respondents identified better shopping and meal planning as a method of cutting down on food waste, and in all countries except Lithuania (42%), Italy (45%) and Hungary (48%) a majority of respondents mentioned this. The proportion of respondents giving this answer was particularly high in Spain, where over eight in ten (81%) mentioned it. There was even greater variation in the case of using up leftovers. While nine in ten (90%) of respondents in Belgium identified this as a method for reducing food waste, less than a fifth (17%) of those polled in Lithuania mentioned this method. Similar differences were observed among those who identified freezing perishable goods as a method for cutting down on waste, with over eight in ten of those polled in Belgium (83%) and the United Kingdom (82%) giving this response, compared with less than a fifth (19%) of respondents in Slovenia. Country-level opinion also varied when considering ways of preventing food waste which could be implemented by actors other than the consumer, although generally these methods were less frequently mentioned. Three quarters (75%) of respondents in the United Kingdom and over two thirds of those polled in Belgium (72%), Austria (68%) and France (67%) suggested that waste could be prevented by decreasing portion sizes in shops, while only a fifth (20%) of those polled in Greece identified this approach. Two thirds or more of respondents in the United Kingdom suggested improving the best before or use by information on food labels (70%) or improving information about food storage and preparation (66%), compared with only just over one in ten in Slovenia (14% and 12% respectively). In 22 of the 28 Member States, information about food storage and preparation was the least frequently mentioned method of reducing food waste. 10
Q2 What would help you to waste less food at home? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (%) Better shopping and meal planning by your household Using up leftovers instead of throwing them away Using the freezer to preserve food longer Availability of smaller portion sizes in shops Better and clearer information on the meaning of "best before" and "use by" dates indicated on food labels Better and clearer information on food product labels (e.g. information on food storage and preparation) Other (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU28 63 63 56 54 49 46 2 2 BE 75 90 83 72 68 64 0 0 BG 63 28 33 39 35 27 2 2 CZ 53 50 38 37 41 38 4 8 DK 51 55 39 57 34 27 3 5 DE 52 53 35 53 38 34 3 4 EE 67 30 37 28 18 12 4 8 IE 57 51 50 51 48 39 1 2 EL 63 50 45 20 33 30 1 1 ES 81 81 78 60 64 65 1 1 FR 68 86 80 67 60 64 2 0 HR 60 51 34 25 29 23 5 2 IT 45 40 24 30 16 15 2 2 CY 69 48 40 31 33 29 1 1 LV 63 51 51 40 45 39 4 4 LT 42 17 22 23 19 16 6 14 LU 65 77 68 61 59 53 2 1 HU 48 48 37 46 37 32 1 4 MT 71 48 49 29 34 27 1 2 NL 56 62 60 61 47 38 4 3 AT 73 76 55 68 52 45 3 2 PL 70 65 62 56 63 55 2 2 PT 79 86 74 62 67 67 3 1 RO 66 36 46 44 53 55 3 2 SI 57 48 19 22 14 12 5 3 SK 47 33 27 27 26 21 6 2 FI 79 79 77 62 51 49 1 3 SE 58 71 62 43 49 43 2 3 UK 74 79 82 75 70 66 1 2 Highest percentage per Highest percentage per item Lowest percentage per country Lowest percentage per item 11
There were few differences between socio-demographic groups on this question. While over two thirds (68%) of those aged between 15 and 39 identified better shopping and meal planning as a means to reduce waste, less than six in ten (57%) of those aged 55 or more gave this answer. Similar differences were observed in the case of leftovers (66%, compared with 59%). On the other hand, only half (50%) of the youngest cohort said that smaller portion sizes in shops would help, compared with 57% of those in the oldest cohort. Respondents with higher levels of education were somewhat more likely to mention better meal planning, with nearly two thirds (65%) of those who finished their education at or after the age of 20 mentioning this method of curbing waste, compared with less than six in ten (57%) of those who left at or before the age of 15. Q2 What would help you to waste less food at home? (MULTIPLE ANSWERS POSSIBLE) (% - EU) Better shopping and meal planning by your household Using up leftovers instead of throwing them away Using the freezer to preserve food longer Availability of smaller portion sizes in shops Better and clearer information on the meaning of "best before" and "use by" dates indicated on food labels Better and clearer information on food product labels (e.g. information on food storage and preparation) Other (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU28 63 63 56 54 49 46 2 2 Sex Male 62 61 54 50 49 45 2 3 Female 63 64 57 57 49 46 2 2 Age 15-24 68 66 61 50 49 47 1 1 25-39 68 65 54 53 48 45 1 2 40-54 63 64 54 51 48 44 2 2 55 + 57 59 56 57 50 48 3 3 Education (End of) 15-57 62 58 54 51 48 3 2 16-19 61 61 55 55 50 47 2 3 20+ 65 64 55 53 47 44 2 2 Still studying 70 68 60 50 49 45 1 1 12
II. USE BY AND BEST BEFORE DATES Most foods are labelled with either a use by or a best before date. Use by labelling indicates the date after which an item of food is no longer safe to eat. Best before labelling indicates the date after which an item of food may still be eaten but may not be at its best in terms of quality. The meaning of these labels is often misunderstood. Respondents were asked firstly to say how often they looked at food labels to identify these dates, and then to indicate what they think the date marking means 10. 1 Frequency of looking at Use by and Best before dates - A majority of people always look at use by and best before dates when shopping and preparing meals By far the largest proportion of respondents said that they always check use by and best before labelling when shopping for food and preparing meals, with nearly six in ten (58%) giving this response. Nearly a quarter (23%) said that they often look at these labels. Less than one in ten said that they sometimes (9%) or rarely (6%) look at these labels, and very few said that they never (3%) do. Q3 How often, if at all, do you look at "use by" or "best before" dates on food labels when shopping and preparing meals? (% - EU) Rarely 6 Never 3 Don't know 1 Sometimes 9 Often 23 Always 58 10 Q3. How often, if at all, do you look at "use by" or "best before" dates on food labels when shopping and preparing meals? ONE ANSWER ONLY Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never, Don t know/not applicable. Q4. What do you think "best before" on a food product actually means? I am going to read out some options, please select the one that best applies. ONE ANSWER ONLY It depends on the type of food, The food can be consumed after this date, but it may no longer be at its best quality, The food will be safe to eat up to this date, but should not be eaten past this date, None of these, Don t know/not applicable. Q5. What do you think "use by" on a food product actually means? I am going to read out some options, please select the one that best applies. ONE ANSWER ONLY It depends on the type of food, The food can be consumed after this date, but it may no longer be at its best quality, The food will be safe to eat up to this date, but should not be eaten past this date, None of these, Don t know/not applicable. 13
In all Member States, the largest proportion of respondents consisted of those who said that they always check date marking on food labels. In most cases, an absolute majority of respondents gave this answer: the exceptions were Croatia (49%), Poland (48%), Austria (47%) and Sweden (47%). The proportion of those who always check date labels is particularly high in Greece, where nearly three quarters (71%) of respondents gave this reply. There were few significant country-level differences among those who sometimes or rarely check dates on food labelling. Among those who never check date marking, the proportion ranged from 1% in Malta to 6% in Croatia. 14
There were very few significant socio-demographic differences in responses to this question. The main difference was observed in the case of age. Younger respondents were significantly less likely to say that they always checked date labelling, with just over four in ten (44%) of those aged between 15 and 24 giving this response, compared with over six in ten (61%) of those aged 55 or more. Just over half (52%) of manual workers said that they always checked dates on food labelling, compared with nearly six in ten (59%) of employees and the selfemployed. Q3 How often, if at all, do you look at "use by" or "best before" dates on food labels when shopping and preparing meals? (% - EU) Always Often Sometimes Rarely Never Don't know EU28 58 23 9 6 3 1 Sex Male 52 25 9 8 5 1 Female 62 21 9 5 2 1 Age 15-24 44 29 13 10 4 0 25-39 58 26 8 5 3 0 40-54 61 22 8 6 3 0 55 + 61 19 9 6 4 1 Respondent occupation scale Self-employed 59 20 9 8 4 0 Employee 59 25 8 6 2 0 Manual workers 52 28 8 7 4 1 Not working 58 21 10 6 4 1 15
2 Understanding of best before labelling - Less than half of respondents understand the meaning of best before labelling on food products When asked about the meaning of best before labelling, less than half (47%) of those polled correctly said that this marking indicates that food may be consumed after the given date, but that it may not be at its best in terms of quality. Nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents gave an answer which corresponds instead to the meaning of use by labelling, incorrectly saying that food should not be eaten past the "best before" date. A further quarter (25%) incorrectly said that the meaning of best before varies according to the type of food. There were significant country-level differences in the proportions of respondents who gave the correct answer to this question. In Sweden, over two thirds (68%) of those polled were aware that best before labelling indicates the date after which food may deteriorate in quality but is still safe to consume. Levels of awareness were also particularly high in Estonia (65%). On the other hand, less than a fifth (16%) of those polled in Romania gave the correct answer to this question, as did less than a quarter of respondents in Bulgaria (21%), Greece (22%), Lithuania (24%) and Poland (24%). In Romania, nearly two thirds (64%) of respondents said that food should not be eaten after the best before date, compared with less than one in ten of those surveyed in Finland (5%) and Sweden (6%). Austria stands out as a country where a particularly high proportion of respondents (45%) said that the meaning of the "best before" marking depends on the type of food on which it is found. 16
At the aggregate level, there is a clear regional difference, with over half (52%) of respondents in the EU15 giving the correct answer, compared with only 28% of those surveyed in the NMS13 countries. 17
3 Understanding of use by labelling - Only four in ten respondents correctly understand the meaning of use by dates on food products There was even more uncertainty about the meaning of use by dates in comparison with the understanding of best before labelling. Only four in ten (40%) respondents correctly said that food should not be eaten after the "use by" date indicated on food labelling. Over a quarter (28%) confused use by and best before dates, saying that food may be consumed after the use by date; such misunderstanding could lead consumers to eat foods which are unsafe. A similar proportion (28%) said that the meaning of use by labelling depends on the type of food on which it is found. When compared with the answers given to the previous question, the country-level breakdown suggests significant divergence in the extent to which people understand the differences between use by and best before. Over two thirds (69%) of those polled in Romania gave the correct definition of use by labelling, as did two thirds (66%) of respondents in Greece. Notably, both of these countries had high proportions of respondents who, when asked about best before dates, gave the definition which corresponds to use by. A similar pattern was observed in Cyprus (61%), Poland (57%) and Bulgaria (54%). This suggests that there are some countries in which consumers are much more familiar with the concept of use by than with the concept of best before, to the extent that a majority apply that definition in both cases. In the same way, there are some countries in which consumers are clearly more familiar with the concept of best before than with the concept of use by. Sweden stands out in this regard: less than a fifth (17%) gave the correct definition of use by, while over half (55%) incorrectly opted for the best before definition, a similar proportion having employed that definition correctly in response to the previous question. In most other cases, familiarity varied in a nonsystematic way. In the majority of countries, a majority of respondents gave the correct answer to only one of the questions. The exceptions were Ireland, where over half of those polled gave the correct definition of use by labels (53%) and best before labels (56%), and Italy, where the corresponding proportions were 52% and 56%. 18
Again, Austria stands out for a high proportion of respondents who thought that the definition of use by depends on the type of food, with half (50%) of those polled giving this answer. For the socio-demographic breakdown, the analysis concentrates on the proportions of respondents who gave the correct answer to the two questions. Awareness of the correct meaning of best before labelling was highest among those aged between 25 and 39, with over half (53%) of those polled giving the correct answer. This proportion declined with successive age groups, and only a third (41%) of the oldest those aged 55 or over gave the correct answer. Awareness was also lower among the youngest cohort, with less than half (45%) of those aged between 15 and 24 giving the correct answer. A similar pattern was observed in the case of use by labels, although the differences were not as substantial. A little less than half (46%) of those aged between 25 and 39 gave the correct definition of this label, compared with less than four in ten (39%) of those aged between 15 and 24, and just over a third (35%) of those aged 55 or more. There were significant differences between those who finished education at 15 or less, and those who finished education at the age of 20 or more. Over half (53%) of respondents who finished education at the age of 20 or more gave the correct definition of the best before label and over four in ten (43%) gave the correct definition of the use by label. In both cases, only just over a third (36%) of respondents who finished education at the age of 15 or before gave the correct answer. Among occupational groups, employees were significantly more likely to give the right definition of best before labels, with nearly six in ten (56%) answering correctly, compared with just over four in ten (41%) of manual workers and four in ten (40%) of those not working. However, there were no significant differences between occupational cohorts in the case of use by labelling. 19
Q4 What do you think "best before" on a food product actually means? I am going to read out some options, please select the one that best applies. (% - EU) The food can be consumed after this date, but it may no longer be at its best quality It depends on the type of food The food will be safe to eat up to this date, but should not be eaten past this date None of these (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU28 47 25 24 3 1 Sex Male 48 25 22 4 1 Female 46 26 25 2 1 Age 15-24 45 26 25 3 1 25-39 53 22 23 2 0 40-54 51 24 22 3 0 55 + 41 29 25 3 2 Education (End of) 15-36 31 27 4 2 16-19 44 28 24 3 1 20+ 53 22 21 3 1 Still studying 47 25 25 3 0 Respondent occupation scale Self-employed 50 25 21 3 1 Employee 56 22 19 2 1 Manual workers 41 27 27 4 1 Not working 40 28 27 3 2 Q5 What do you think "use by" on a food product actually means? I am going to read out some options, please select the one that best applies. (% - EU) It depends on the type of food The food can be consumed after this date, but it may no longer be at its best quality The food will be safe to eat up to this date, but should not be eaten past this date None of these (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU28 28 28 40 3 1 Sex Male 27 30 39 3 1 Female 29 27 41 2 1 Age 15-24 28 29 39 3 1 25-39 26 26 46 2 0 40-54 27 29 40 3 1 55 + 30 29 35 3 3 Education (End of) 15-31 26 36 4 3 16-19 30 28 38 3 1 20+ 25 29 43 2 1 Still studying 30 27 40 3 0 Respondent occupation scale Self-employed 27 28 42 2 1 Employee 27 30 40 2 1 Manual workers 27 27 42 3 1 Not working 29 27 39 3 2 20
III. NEED FOR BEST BEFORE LABELLING ON NON-PERISHABLE FOODS - Less than half of respondents think that best before labels are needed for certain staple, non-perishable foods Respondents were asked how they would react if manufacturers removed best before dates on labels for certain non-perishable foods, such as rice, pasta, coffee and tea, which currently have to be labelled with this information 11. Over half (54%) of those polled said that they would not need this information, while over four in ten (44%) said that they would miss having this information. Opinion was very divided on this question at the country level. In Cyprus (77%) and Greece (76%), over three quarters of respondents indicated that they would prefer best before dates to remain on selected non-perishable items, and in Italy (69%) and Malta (70%) over two thirds gave this answer. However, in 12 of the 28 Member States, only a minority regarded this information as necessary, with as little as a quarter (25%) giving this response in France, Austria, Netherlands and Germany. There was a clear divide at the regional level, with nearly six in ten (58%) of those polled in NMS13 Member States saying that they would miss the information, compared with only four in ten (40%) of respondents in EU15 countries. In all but one (Latvia) of the NMS13 Member States, a majority of those polled regarded best before labels as necessary. 11 Q6. Currently, manufacturers are not required to indicate dates on food labels for certain non- perishable foods, such as salt, sugar and vinegar. These foods can be consumed safely and their quality does not deteriorate over a long period of time. In future, if you no longer found best before dates on other non-perishable foods, such as rice, pasta, coffee or tea, how would you respond? ONE ANSWER ONLY You would miss this information, You would not need this information, Don t know/not applicable. 21
There were few significant socio-demographic differences. Respondents with lower levels of education were more likely to say that they would miss information about best before dates if it were removed from non-perishable items. Half (50%) of those who finished their education at or before the age of 15 gave this response, compared with only just over four in ten (42%) of those who finished their education at the age of 20 or above. Respondents who live in large towns (47%) or small-to-medium-sized towns (45%) were more likely than those who live in villages (40%) to regard best before labels on non-perishable items as necessary. 22
IV. PRODUCT USAGE IN ABSENCE OF BEST BEFORE LABELLING - Over two thirds of people would use non-perishable goods in the absence of best before labelling The survey then asked respondents about their propensity to use non-perishable goods in the absence of best before labelling. Respondents were asked to imagine that they had found a package of spaghetti in their kitchen with no best before date, and that they could not remember when they had bought it. They were then asked whether they would use the spaghetti 12. Over two thirds (70%) said that they would use the package regardless of the lack of information. Just over a third (36%) said that they would use it only if there was no obvious damage to the product, while a similar proportion (34%) said that they would use it in any circumstance. However, just under a quarter (24%) of those polled said that they would throw the package away if they could not determine when it was bought or whether it was still in good condition. There were substantial country-level differences on this question. In eight of the 28 Member States, at least eight in ten (80%) of respondents said they would use the package. All but one of these countries are from the EU15, the exception being Estonia (84%). In almost all countries at least a majority of respondents said they would use it, but in Bulgaria (48%) and Greece (44%) less than half would, and in Romania only just over a third (36%) said that they would use it. In Estonia (63%) and Luxembourg (51%) a majority of respondents said that they would use the package if it was not damaged. However, in the United Kingdom (24%) less than a quarter responded in this way, and the proportions of respondents who gave this answer were also relatively low in France (25%), Romania (25%), Poland (26%) and Sweden (26%). There is also significant variation among those who said that they would use the package regardless of its condition. In France (59%) and Sweden (55%) over half of those polled gave this answer, compared with less than one in ten of respondents in Malta (7%), Bulgaria (8%) and Cyprus (9%). In almost all countries, only a minority said that they would throw the package of spaghetti away if they could not be sure of its best before date. The exceptions were Greece, where half (50%) of those polled said that they would throw it away, and Romania, where a clear majority (56%) of respondents gave this answer. Proportions were also relatively high in Cyprus (44%) and Bulgaria (47%). These countries were among those with the highest proportions of respondents who said that they would miss best before information if it were not displayed on non-perishable goods like spaghetti. However, it should also be noted that these are the same four countries in which a majority of respondents confused the meaning of best before on food labelling with that of use by. This suggests that the unwillingness of respondents in these countries to eat unlabelled food could be influenced at least in part by a lack of understanding as to what the two types of dates actually mean. At the other end of the scale, less than one in ten (8%) of those polled in Germany said they would throw the package away. 12 Q7. If you found a package of spaghetti in your kitchen cupboard with no "best before" date indicated on the label and you could not remember when you bought it, what would you do? ONE ANSWER ONLY SPONTANEOUS You would use it anyway, You would use it only if the packaging is not damaged and the product looks all right, You would throw it away, You never look at dates, Don t know/not applicable. 23
Q7 If you found a package of spaghetti in your kitchen cupboard with no "best before" date indicated on the label and you could not remember when you bought it, what would you do? (OPEN QUESTION - SPONTANEOUS ANSWERS) (%) You would use it only if the packaging is not damaged and the product looks all right You would use it anyway You would throw it away You never look at dates Don't know Total 'You would use it' EU28 36 34 24 1 5 70 AT 37 48 11 1 3 85 DE 43 41 8 3 5 84 EE 63 21 12 2 2 84 FR 25 59 12 1 3 84 LU 51 32 12 4 1 83 NL 44 37 15 3 1 81 SE 26 55 15 1 3 81 FI 43 37 18 0 2 80 SI 47 31 17 1 4 78 BE 37 39 20 1 3 76 SK 50 26 20 2 2 76 DK 40 35 18 3 4 75 CZ 36 38 20 1 5 74 LV 42 27 25 1 5 69 IE 40 28 30 1 1 68 UK 24 44 28 1 3 68 HR 40 27 29 1 3 67 HU 44 23 29 1 3 67 ES 48 18 25 1 8 66 IT 43 21 30 1 5 64 LT 37 24 28 2 9 61 PL 26 33 33 1 7 59 PT 39 20 34 1 6 59 MT 50 7 37 1 5 57 CY 44 9 44 1 2 53 BG 40 8 47 2 3 48 EL 32 12 50 1 5 44 RO 25 11 56 1 7 36 Highest percentage per country Highest percentage per item Lowest percentage per country Lowest percentage per item 24
There are few significant socio-demographic differences on this question. Older respondents were slightly more cautious about using food without best before labelling: just over two thirds (67%) of those aged 55 or over said that they would use the package, compared with nearly three quarters (72%) of those aged between 15 and 24 or between 25 and 39. Respondents with higher levels of education were more likely to say that they would use the package. Nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents who finished their education at or above the age of 20 gave this response, compared with only just over six in ten (62%) of those who finished their education at or before the age of 15. Q7 If you found a package of spaghetti in your kitchen cupboard with no "best before" date indicated on the label and you could not remember when you bought it, what would you do? (OPEN QUESTION - SPONTANEOUS ANSWERS) (% - EU) You would use it only if the packaging is not damaged and the product looks all right You would use it anyway You would throw it away You never look at dates Don't know Total 'You would use it' EU28 36 34 24 1 5 70 Sex Male 35 34 25 1 5 69 Female 37 34 24 1 4 71 Age 15-24 40 32 22 1 5 72 25-39 37 35 24 1 3 72 40-54 36 35 24 1 4 71 55 + 33 34 24 2 7 67 Education (End of) 15-34 28 30 1 7 62 16-19 35 34 25 2 4 69 20+ 37 37 21 1 4 74 Still studying 40 33 22 1 4 73 25
V. USE OF STORAGE GUIDANCE INFORMATION ON FOOD LABELS - A majority of people continue to use opened food products after the recommended storage period For certain foods, food manufacturers choose to provide storage guidance on food labelling, indicating how long a product can be utilised after being opened. Respondents were asked whether they still used products after the end of the indicated usage period 13. Nearly six in ten (59%) of those polled said that they used opened food beyond the recommended storage period, provided that the packaging was undamaged and the food appeared to be in acceptable condition. Just under a third (31%) of respondents said that they threw food away if the storage period after opening had expired. Just under one in ten (7%) said that it depended on the type of food. In 23 of the 28 Member States, a majority of respondents said that they would continue to use opened food products beyond the recommended storage date if they looked all right. Austria (82%) stands out for the particularly high proportion of respondents who gave this answer. However, in Malta (52%), Bulgaria (57%), Cyprus (58%) Greece (60%) and Romania (65%) a majority said that they would throw the food away regardless of how it looked. These five countries also had the highest proportion of respondents who said they would throw away unmarked non-perishable goods if they could not ascertain their best before date. 13 Q8. Some food labels indicate that, once opened, a product must be used within a certain number of days. If you find that you have not used up the product within the time indicated on the label, what do you usually do? ONE ANSWER ONLY You use it if the packaging is not damaged and the food looks all right, You throw it away, You never look at dates, It depends on the type of food, Don t know/not applicable. 26
Q8 Some food labels indicate that, once opened, a product must be used within a certain number of days. If you find that you have not used up the product within the time indicated on the label, what do you usually do? (%) You use it if the packaging is not damaged and the food looks all right You throw it away You never look at dates (SPONTANEOUS) It depends on the type of food (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU28 59 31 0 7 3 BE 54 36 0 8 2 BG 35 57 0 6 2 CZ 62 27 0 8 3 DK 58 29 0 11 2 DE 77 15 0 5 3 EE 60 22 1 14 3 IE 50 43 0 7 0 EL 33 60 0 6 1 ES 60 31 0 7 2 FR 63 26 0 10 1 HR 58 32 1 8 1 IT 55 32 0 11 2 CY 34 58 0 7 1 LV 60 30 0 7 3 LT 48 38 0 7 7 LU 63 25 1 11 0 HU 56 31 1 10 2 MT 33 52 0 13 2 NL 60 29 0 9 2 AT 82 11 0 6 1 PL 53 37 0 5 5 PT 50 42 0 5 3 RO 25 65 0 6 4 SI 70 20 1 8 1 SK 49 41 0 7 3 FI 68 25 0 6 1 SE 79 16 0 5 0 UK 58 33 0 7 2 Highest percentage per country Highest percentage per item Lowest percentage per country Lowest percentage per item 27
Again, there were very few significant and consistent socio-demographic differences on this question. Those who finished their education at the age of 20 or more (62%) were somewhat more likely to use opened food beyond the recognised storage period than those who finished their education at the age of 15 or less (55%). Occupants of rural villages (62%) were slightly more likely than those living in large towns (57%) to use opened food beyond the recommended date. Q8 Some food labels indicate that, once opened, a product must be used within a certain number of days. If you find that you have not used up the product within the time indicated on the label, what do you usually do? (% - EU) You use it if the packaging is not damaged and the food looks all right You throw it away You never look at dates (SPONTANEOUS) It depends on the type of food (SPONTANEOUS) Don't know EU28 59 31 0 7 3 Sex Male 59 31 0 7 3 Female 60 31 0 7 2 Age 15-24 62 30 1 6 1 25-39 59 32 0 7 2 40-54 61 30 0 7 2 55 + 57 31 0 8 4 Education (End of) 15-55 32 1 9 3 16-19 57 33 0 7 3 20+ 62 29 0 7 2 Still studying 62 31 0 6 1 Subjective urbanisation Rural village 62 29 0 7 2 Small/mid size town 59 32 0 7 2 Large town 57 33 0 7 3 28
SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS The socio-demographic breakdown throughout the survey highlights some interesting variations among the different categories of population. Women were more likely than men to answer that consumers (78% vs. 74%), shops (64% vs. 61%) and the hospitality and food service sector (65% vs. 60%) have a role to play in preventing food waste. Similarly, women were more likely to answer that availability of smaller portion sizes in shops would help waste less food at home (57% vs. 50%) and are more likely to look at use by or best before dates on food labels when shopping and preparing meals (62% vs. 52%). When looking at the respondents' age, older respondents were less likely to mention better shopping and planning (57% vs. 63-68%) and using leftovers (59% vs. 64-66%), as a means of wasting less food at home, while younger respondents were by far less likely to state that they always check use by and best before labels (44% vs. 58-61%). Respondents who remained longer in education were more likely to believe that individuals have a role to play in preventing food waste (81% vs. 66-75%) and to cite better shopping and meal planning (70% vs. 57-65%) and using up leftovers (68% vs. 61-64%) as means of wasting less food at home. People who remained longer in education tend to answer correctly the questions about the meaning of best before (53% vs. 36-44%) and use by (43% vs. 36-38%) labelling. Other questions also showed differences when analysed by the level of education. Respondents with a higher educational level were more likely to state that they would use non-perishable foods if no best before date were indicated on the label (37% vs. 28-34%) and to use opened food beyond the recognised storage period if it looked all right (62% vs. 55-57%). They would be less likely to miss best before dates on nonperishable foods (42% vs. 45-50%). Respondents who live in larger towns were more likely to look at best before dates (60% vs. 55-58%) and to answer that they would miss this information on non-perishable foods (47% vs. 40-45%). Moreover, respondents living in larger towns would be more eager to throw away nonperishable foods with no best before date indicated on the label (27% vs. 21-23%) and opened food (33% vs. 29-32%) beyond the indicated storage guidance date. There are no significant findings in terms of the occupation of the respondent. However, manual workers (71%) and those not working (73%) are less likely to say that consumers have a role to play in reducing food waste than employees (82%). 29