Reasons for food losses during home preparation
ISSN: 0007-070X
Article publication date: 4 December 2019
Issue publication date: 9 January 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore reasons for household preparation losses.
Design/methodology/approach
Observations of preparation behaviors and semi-structured interviews of nine people were conducted in their kitchens. The data were analyzed through a qualitative data analysis method.
Findings
Three types of preparation losses were identified, i.e. possibly avoidable food waste, excessive removals and unintentional losses. Possibly avoidable food waste and excessive removals were generated owing to people’s perception that is in the gray area between edible and inedible, their preferences, lower quality of food, convenience in preparation, lack of preparation skill and knowledge, and lack of concern about preparation losses. Unintentional losses were tiny pieces of food that were left on cooking tools.
Research limitations/implications
As this study’s participants were nine women living in Japan, further research is needed in order to achieve saturation.
Originality/value
Few studies have discussed reasons for preparation losses, and extant studies were based on a diary method and questionnaires. This present study uncovers several new reasons for preparation losses based on interviews and observations of consumer preparation behaviors. These new details would be helpful for campaigns or programs that aim to reduce food losses.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Yayoi Kito for useful discussions. The author also thanks Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing. This study was financially supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP18K13026 and the Scholarship Fund for Women Researchers from the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan. These supporters did not intervene in any point of the study process.
Citation
Nonomura, M. (2020), "Reasons for food losses during home preparation", British Food Journal, Vol. 122 No. 2, pp. 574-585. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-06-2019-0457
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited