Buying less and wasting less food. Changes in household food energy purchases, energy intakes and energy density between 2007 and 2012 with and without adjustment for food waste

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Abstract

Consumers in the UK responded to the rapid increases in food prices between 2007 and 2009 partly by reducing the amount of food energy bought. Household food and drink waste has also decreased since 2007. The present study explored the combined effects of reductions in food purchases and waste on estimated food energy intakes and dietary energy density.The amount of food energy purchased per adult equivalent was calculated from Kantar Worldpanel household food and drink purchase data for 2007 and 2012. Food energy intakes were estimated by adjusting purchase data for food and drink waste, using waste factors specific to the two years and scaled for household size.
Scotland.
Households in Scotland (n 2657 in 2007; n 2841 in 2012).
The amount of food energy purchased decreased between 2007 and 2012, from 8·6 to 8·2 MJ/adult equivalent per d (P<0·001). After accounting for the decrease in food waste, estimated food energy intake was not significantly different (7·3 and 7·2 MJ/adult equivalent per d for 2007 and 2012, respectively; P=0·186). Energy density of foods purchased increased slightly from 700 to 706 kJ/100 g (P=0·010).
While consumers in Scotland reduced the amount of food energy that they purchased between 2007 and 2012, this was balanced by reductions in household food and drink waste over the same time, resulting in no significant change in net estimated energy intake of foods brought into the home.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1248-1256
Number of pages9
JournalPublic Health Nutrition
Volume20
Issue number7
Early online date19 Dec 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2017

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
Financial support: This work was supported by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division. RESAS had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Kantar Worldpanel had no role in study design or data analysis.
Authorship: S.W. was responsible for formulating the research question and analysing the data. G.W.H provided statistical advice. S.W., J.I.M. and G.W.H.
contributed to the preparation of the manuscript.
Ethics of human subject participation: Not applicable.

Keywords

  • food waste
  • food purchasing
  • socio-economic deprivation
  • recession
  • food price rises

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