Frozen food leads to lower waste, claims Dutch research

31 Jul 2017 --- A study by a Dutch university finds that consumers create less food waste when they use frozen vegetable, potato products and berry fruit compared with fresh food or alternatives in cans and jars. This is one outcome revealed in the latest study by Wageningen University & Research about the influence of the purchase form (frozen, fresh or preserved) on the amount of food people waste. 

It was carried out as part of a public-private partnership and pilot study known as CARVE, (Across Supply Chain Action program Reduction of food waste, improved Valorization & Resource Efficiency, 2015-2018). 

Researchers conducted an online survey involving more than 500 Dutch households from a cross section of the community. Participants first answered several general questions about their household routines regarding food, including subjects like their stock management.

The second part of the questionnaire looked at how much food, on average, goes into the bin. In this context, for 12 types of products including seven types of vegetables, potato products, berry fruit, fish and ready-to-eat meals, the influence of the purchase form (frozen, fresh or preserved) was evaluated. 

Consumers indicated how often they consumed a product annually, how often they disposed of it and the habitual quantities involved.

Results show frozen creates less waste 
For six of the vegetables tested, plus potato products and berry fruit, the volumes discarded per consumption event were the smallest for frozen. For peas & carrots and non-battered fish, the quantities of frozen, fresh and preserved foods going to the waste bin were approximately the same. 

In the case of ready-to-eat meals, a greater proportion of the frozen version was discarded and it was observed that participants were more likely to store fresh products in the fridge to consume at a later stage, compared to their frozen or preserved equivalents. 

The results of the research were published recently, in the scientific journal Waste Management.

“Dutch consumers prefer fresh produce,” says project manager Anke Janssen, researcher at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research. “But faced with so much food waste, it could be wiser to choose for more frozen food. Frozen products have often extended shelf life and are easier to divide into portions.” 

The researcher emphasizes that it is still too early to translate these insights into concrete advice at a national level. 

“First, we want to better understand the precise underlying behavior with regard to shopping, storage and disposal.” In the first part of the questionnaire, often “forget about products” was indicated when giving a reason for discarding food, although before going shopping, most participants indicated to check what they have in stock at home. “It is clear that consumers would benefit from support in managing food stocks at home. Imagine, for example, an App that warns when a product in the freezer is good for only a few more weeks,” said Janssen.

About a quarter of all food intended for human consumption is lost in the distribution chain. Households in the Netherlands and other European countries account for approximately half of this. Much of this waste could be avoided by improving consumer awareness when buying, storing and cooking.