A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine identifies promising strategies for reducing consumer food waste nationwide, including a national campaign to change consumer behavior, federal standardization of food date labeling and changes to retailer marketing and foodservice practices, among other measures.

Approximately 30% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted each year, and a significant portion of that waste occurs at the consumer level. Food waste accounts for 15% of all solid waste in the U.S. and contributes significantly to carbon dioxide emissions.

"A National Strategy to Reduce Food Waste at the Consumer Level" says food waste is driven not just by an individual’s food choices but also by a system that leads consumers toward choices that result in wasted food. The report identifies 11 drivers of consumer food waste, including marketing practices that shape consumer behavior, government policies and regulations and competing demands on consumers’ time and attention.

“When you buy a pint of strawberries at the grocery store, you never do so intending to waste them, but factors such as this being your only trip to the store this week or a two-for-one sale can lead you to buy more strawberries than you actually want and waste what you don’t finish,” said Barbara O. Schneeman, chair of the committee that wrote the report and professor emerita of the University of California-Davis. “Our report’s recommendations focus on getting all the actors in our food system to coordinate their actions and give consumers a different set of choices that help waste less food.”

Related:USDA, EPA, FDA expand food waste cooperation

Changing the food environment

Manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and other foodservice venues should develop promotions and in-store cues that prioritize buying the right amount and variety of products — frozen, shelf stable and perishable — and change how they present food and communicate with customers to reduce food waste.

For example, stores can consider providing smaller carts or baskets to reduce overbuying, cafeterias can remove trays so consumers select less food and restaurants can offer smaller portions and redesign buffets to discourage waste. Trade associations, alliances and nonprofits all play an essential role in coordinating industry efforts to change the food environment and should create a forum to implement change and innovation.

The report also recommends that industry, consumers and nonprofits all advocate for federal legislation to standardize date labeling on packaged food. While most date labels convey the manufacturer’s best guess at how long a product will remain at peak quality, studies have shown that consumers often mistake date labels for expiration or safety dates and discard food that is still safe to eat. Only pre-emptive action at the federal level could override state laws and allow businesses to remove date labels from some products. The report says state and local governments should also institute policies to reduce food waste, such as charging garbage fees based on the amount of waste a household produces, with support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others.

Related:Food waste strategy looks to educate consumers

Supporting consumer behavior change

The report says the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative, an interagency effort to improve coordination and communication on food waste among the U.S Department of Agriculture, the Food & Drug Administration and EPA, should be expanded to become the go-to place for consumer information, information on evaluating and implementing food waste interventions and sharing research.

The initiative should also create a national behavior change campaign to inform the public about the environmental, economic and social benefits of reducing food waste and provide easy, everyday tips for reducing food waste. This campaign should focus on reaching consumers during “teachable moments,” when they are most likely to form and keep new habits. The current disruptions to the food system as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in which many Americans have had to change their grocery shopping and restaurant habits, are potentially one such teachable moment, the report suggests.

The report specifically calls on professional organizations to work with food influencers, including social media personalities and cooking show hosts, to promote food literacy and waste reduction on their platforms. Non-government organizations and government agencies should provide K-12 schools and colleges with tools to help students learn about the impact of food waste.

Applying research and technology

The report says any promising approaches to reducing food waste will need to be further evaluated as they are implemented in different settings and populations — and this evaluation should be a priority for future food waste research.

Developments such as new packaging to extend shelf life or apps and devices that help consumers track their food waste can play a role. The report says government agencies and foundations should invest in research to better measure consumer food waste.

The study — undertaken by the Committee on a Systems Approach to Reducing Consumer Food Waste — was sponsored by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Walmart Foundation.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine comprises private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Abraham Lincoln.