Tackling Food Waste: Impact of German Consumer Behaviour on Food in Chilled Storage.
Harald Wucher, Astrid Klingshirn, Lilla Brugger, Rainer Stamminger, Jasmin Geppert, Beate Kölzer, Antje Engstler, Jochen Härlen
Author Information
Harald Wucher: Department Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Albstadt-Sigmaringen, Anton-Guenther-Straße 51, 72488 Sigmaringen, Germany. ORCID
Astrid Klingshirn: Department Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Albstadt-Sigmaringen, Anton-Guenther-Straße 51, 72488 Sigmaringen, Germany.
Lilla Brugger: Department Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Albstadt-Sigmaringen, Anton-Guenther-Straße 51, 72488 Sigmaringen, Germany.
Rainer Stamminger: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Section Household and Appliance Technology, Bonn University, Nussallee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany. ORCID
Jasmin Geppert: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Section Household and Appliance Technology, Bonn University, Nussallee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
Beate Kölzer: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Section Household and Appliance Technology, Bonn University, Nussallee 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
Antje Engstler: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH, Robert-Bosch-Straße 100, 89537 Giengen an der Brenz, Germany.
Jochen Härlen: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH, Robert-Bosch-Straße 100, 89537 Giengen an der Brenz, Germany.
Since perishable food in private households is usually stored in refrigerators, both consumer knowledge of correct storage parameters and food handling have a major impact on food quality retention. Today's refrigerators provide features, such as climate-controlled compartments, to improve chilled storage performance, but former studies have shown a lack of usage and interest in such features. This paper is based on the results of an online survey with 2666 respondents from Germany. The questionnaire focused on consumer behaviour regarding the chilled storage of perishable foods, the perception of quality loss in food and consumer requirements concerning refrigerators. The novelty in the study layout was the focus on seven common refrigerator storage features. The results showed that consumers had a high awareness of food safety, resulting in short storage durations. While it was clearly indicated that the storage features were less well-known, their importance correlated with rates of food waste, underlining the potential for improvement. The survey implied that raising the awareness of storage climate parameters is a tool for nudging consumers into lower rates of food waste.
