Let’s help consumers together Karin Bemelmans, Netherlands Nutrition Centre Food Waste Conference “No Opportunity Wasted” 6 February, 2014.

Let’s help consumers together

Karin Bemelmans, Netherlands Nutrition Centre

Food Waste Conference “No Opportunity Wasted”6 February, 2014

1942 2014

The Nutrition Centre

Independent foundation

Funded by the Ministries of Economic Affairs and

Health, Welfare and Sport

Code of conduct for cooperation with 3rd parties

Mission: inform and stimulate

Approach

Health Council Guidelines 2011

Guidelines for a healthy diet: the ecological perspective

1.Eat a less animal-based and more plant-based diet

2.The reduction of energy intake for those with an

excessive body weight, in particular by eating fewer non-

basic foods, such as sugary drinks, sweets, cakes and

snacks.

3.Eat two fish portions a week, at least one portion of

which is oily fish.

4.Reduce food waste.

Challenge of an integrated approach

Food waste and food safety: how to handle expire-dates

Food waste and healthy eating: portion size

Integrated information about healthy, safe and

sustainable eating

Health and food safety are leading

Combined messages create more opportunities to

spread the message of food waste prevention

Examples of integrated information

Research

1. Wastage sorting analysis

2. Consumer perception and behavioural determinants

3. Evaluation per intervention

47 kilo is wasted per person per year

Top 5:

Dairy

Bread

Vegetables

Fruits

Sauce and Fats

Research results

Estimation of the amount of food wasted in households (pppy)

(Temminghoff & Damen, 2013)

Reasons to waste food

Cook to much

Did not use rests

Store incorrectly

Expire date passed

No time to eat it

Too much in the package

Did not like product

Buy to much

(Temminghoff & Damen, 2013)

Goal related to food waste

The government wants to cut food waste by 20% by 2015.

Contribution Voedingscentrum:

Reduce avoidable food waste of consumers by increasing

their knowledge and reaching tools for smart buying,

cooking and storing.

Behaviour insights

Attitude: positive attitude towards reducing

waste

Awareness: consumer is interested

problem is underestimated

Knowledge: still low on expiration dates and food

storage

Habits: break through unconscious behaviour

Skills and self-efficacy are important to change behaviour.

2009-2012 focus on awareness and knowledge

2013 focus on skills

Translation into interventions

awarenesssocial norm

knowledge skillsself-efficacy habits

Campaign sloganand Damn Food Waste

Website & interaction on social media

Practical tools : leaflet, app

Implemen-tation

intention

interest

Food Battle

Why 50 kilo’s?

You don’t want to waste this much food.

But how?

Awareness of the problem

Right norm and intention

Activate

Campaign slogan

Interaction, on social media

Young reporter

Started June 2013

Facebook.com/Hoezo50kilo

Re-use short interviews with consumers

Video blogs with practical tips

2.300 followers, 29.000 blogsviews

Interact, inspire, involvehttp://www.youtube.com/playlist?

list=PLiBhru9DzrzS6lPlC5tlAxCldVg2adsMs

Implementation intention Bridges the gap between intention

and behaviour

Effect is proven on down sizing

snack behaviour. New on reducing

food waste but promising tool.

How does it work? Make an “If… then”- plan

Choose a small step (f.e. use a shopping list)

Write down when you want to what:

“If I go shopping, then I will use a shopping list”

Share: let your friends know what your plan is.

http://www.voedingscentrum.nl/

nowastechallenge

Cooperation in the food chain

Public Private Partnership with over 50 partners

With commercial and non-commercial partners

Partners: willing & spread same message

Maintain independence

Aim : Reach more consumers

Approach

- pro-active

- open for all parties

- new code of conduct: independency and transparency

Damn Food Waste 29th June 2013 Lunch in Amsterdam for 6.500

Food waste on the political, cultural and

industrial agenda.

Involved organisations: Food Guerrilla

(NCDO), Voedingscentrum, WUR, YFM,

Natuur&Milieu, EU FUSIONS / Feeding the

5K

Supported (by) grass root initiatives on

food waste

http://damnfoodwaste.com/

Food Battle

2012: Pilot developed by Wageningen UR and waste

management companies

Keep a diary on how much food is wasted – direct

feedback

Actively encouraged to reduce food waste

Households reduce food waste in 3 weeks up tot 20%

2014: “Vrouwen van Nu” (Women organisation) starts with

1000 members a light version of the Food Battle.

Activities with Lidl

Since 2011: Buy 1 now, Get 1 free later

In 2011: 375,000 shopping lists were spread

In 2013: 380,000 storage leaflets were spread

In 2012:

Cooling bags with

fridge, 60,000ex

Article in store

magazine: 800,000 ex

Activities with Deen

Activities with Coop

In 2013:

Article in store

magazine :

200,000ex

Activities with Albert Heijn

Measuring cup “Eetmaatje”

A kitchen help to cook the right amount

waste less

not eat more than needed

1 million measuring cups are spread in week 6, 2014:

get one free when you buy AH pasta or rice

Average portions in stead of grams. 1 portion = 75

grams of rice or 100 grams of pasta

Products: rice, risotto, couscous, macaroni, penne,

fusilli, pipe rigate, spaghetti and water

Conclusion

Food waste

Everybody agrees: food waste is not done

Many parties are interested in collaboration

Sharing experience is a must

Challenge:

Long term projects with effect

Keep the work going, we need 10 years!