Response rate: 68% Sample size: 120 households

1. CONSUMER’ BEHAVIOUR REGARDING THE USE OF EXPIRY DATES ON FOOD PACKAGES Avermaete, T.1,2., Roest, R., Mathijs, E.1, Vranken L.1 1 Division of Bio-Economics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven 2 Department Health & Technology, KatholiekeHogeschool Leuven Background Table 1: Consumer behaviour regarding the use of expiry date (1) before buying foods /drinks in a shop and (2) as check-up before consuming foods/drinks at home (n=217) Food waste is a key issue on the European agenda. Considering the entire food chain, European citizens waste yearly 95-115 kg food per person (Gustavvson et al 2011). Consumers thereby account for 42% of total food waste (European Commission 2010). Both from an environmental point of view and economically, food waste needs to be reduced. Moreover, given the fact that one billion people worldwide suffer from hunger, current food wastes can not be justified. One of the questions raised concerns the need for expiry dates on food products. The debate relies on the fact that a considerable amount of food is thrown away because the expiry date is reached even though the food is still suited for consumption. Group 1 Group 2 Objectives How do consumers behave when expiry date is reached? • The purpose of this research is to identify consumer’s behaviour with respect to the expiry date of food. Three aspects are accounted for: • Situation while shopping versus behaviour at home • Socio-demographic characteristics of the consumers • Type of food In general, 43% of the respondents will throw away food that has been expired, while only 14% claims they seldom or never throw away expired food. Figure 1 illustrates differences between products categories that are in line with consumer behaviour regarding the use of expiry date. There is a remarkable disparity between the respondents with respect to canned food, whereby 33% of the respondents would not use canned food after expiry date, against 40% of the respondents who would use for 5 days or longer after the expiry date. Methodology • Tool: standardised questionnaire • Method: stratified sampling • Target population: Belgian households • Sample: Brasschaat, town in province of Antwerp • Analyses: descriptive statistics and multivariate regression to determine the impact of consumer’ characteristics on behaviour towards the use of expiry dates • Software: STATA • Timing: Spring 2012 Period that the respondents use foods/drinks after expiry date (n=217) Table 2 Multivariate regression analyses Determinants for use of expiry date For the regression analyses, two groups of products are considered (see table 1). We selected several socio-demographic characteristics as well as other characteristics related to (food) waste behaviour. Table 2 shows that several characteristics are determining for consumer’s behaviour regarding the use of the expiry date. Most pronounced are the impact of age, large family size (having more than 3 children), risk behaviour and overall environmental concern. Results • Response rate: 68% • Sample size: 120 households • Overall, 68% of the respondents claim to check the expiry date in the shop, while only 6% seldom or never check this information. Same figures where obtained for checking the expiry date before consumption at home. • Table 1 shows that consumption behaviour regarding the expiry date depends on the type of product. Control of expiry date of fresh fish and animal products (including milk, yoghurt, eggs, and meat and fish products) is perceived much more important as compared to processed foods like biscuits, species, tins as well as fats and oils. This holds true for both behaviour while shopping and at home. • Control of expiry date of species – both in the shop and at home – is least important.. Only 26% of the respondents pay importance to the expiry date of canned food while shopping. However, over 36% control the expiry date of canned food before consumption. Conclusion The conclusion of this research is twofold. On the one hand, the results clearly indicate the need to consider different food groups in the debate on using expiry dates as a means to reduce food waste. On the other hand, the regression analyses shows that the use of expiry dates depends on socio-demographic characteristics of consumers as well as on other characteristics related to (food) waste behaviour. Based on further data obtained in this survey, research will be carried out on the option of replacing the expiry date by a description. Taking into account the results of this research, we will focus on specific food and drink products. Literature Gustavsson, J., Cederberg, C., Sonesson, U., van Otterdijk, R., Meybeck, A. (2011). Global food losses and food waste, extent, causes and prevention. Study conducted for the International Congress SAVE FOOD! at Interpack 2011 Düsseldorf, Germany. FAO. Koivupuro, H-K., Hartikainen, H., Silvennoinen, K., Katajajuuri, J-M., Heikintalo, N., AnuReinikainen, A. & Jalkanen, L. (2012). International Journal of Consumer Studies 36 (2012) 183–191. • Contact: Division of Bio-Economics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Heverlee, Belgium. E-mail: Tessa.Avermaete@ees.kuleuven.be