Tackling Food Waste By Overcoming Consumer Perceptions

By Isaac Fletcher, contributing writer, Food Online

Food packaging is not always viewed in the most positive light, but in order to address the issue of food waste and improve food security around the globe, there needs to be a collective effort to develop better food packaging and improve food packaging’s image

Food waste occurs throughout all areas of the supply chain and has become a major concern for food producers and consumers alike. So, why are efforts to reduce food waste facing hurdles? One of the major factors stifling progress toward food waste reduction is the negative perception of food packaging that many consumers hold.

Shelf Life Studies — Basics, Concepts, And Principles

Of the attendees at the recent PAC Packaging Consortium A Day In The Life symposium, 60 percent of the packaging-industry leaders, brand strategists, designers, and key decision-makers state that food security is an important issue to their respective businesses. Keynote speaker, Yasmin Siddiqi, explains, “Consumer perception of packaging is a pervasive issue and one that needs to be addressed from every angle of the value chain. The packaging industry is well positioned to prevent food loss and waste — we need to amplify the positive impact we can have on this challenge to help break down some of those negative perceptions.”

According to attendees, packaging is a vital tool in mitigating food waste by extending shelf-life, protecting food contents, facilitating freshness, and ensuring appropriate portions. By looking at food packaging in a vacuum, it is easy to overlook the larger picture. Part of addressing negative perceptions is to help consumers understand that food packaging is an integral part of a complex whole. Siddiqi says, “Food waste has a huge environmental impact because most of the food in landfills contributes to global warming by emitting methane, which is 21 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas. Add to that the environmental impact of lost food in terms of wasted water and energy and you start to see that one pound of food saved has a significant human and environmental impact.”

The Impact Of Permeation On Shelf Life And Packaging

Other roadblocks in the way of reducing food waste are the ambiguity in terms of overall goals and the affordability/cost of research and solutions. It is possible for the packaging industry to have a positive impact on the food waste that occurs throughout the value chain, but solutions will require collaborative, collective efforts to identify problem areas, evaluate options, and act and educate appropriately.