Abstract

According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the average Dutch consumer wastes more than 33 kg of food each year. That is almost 9 per cent of the total amount they buy. Throwing away less food means that less food is wasted. RIVM has made a list of what can be done to reduce food waste. It has also investigated what consumers are already doing to achieve this goal and whether they do this in such a way that their food is still safe to eat.

One way for people to reduce food waste is to check their stocks before going shopping, so that they do not buy too many products. Another way is to weigh ingredients before cooking, so that they cook no more than they need. They can also store leftovers in the fridge to eat later.

Most tips to reduce food waste are safe, but some are not. For instance, it is important to cool leftovers properly and not store them in the fridge for too long. This is to make sure that they do not become a breeding ground for undesirable bacteria, which can cause a foodborne infection. People who pickle vegetables and meat for long-term storage must do so carefully and for a long enough period of time.

Another tip is to buy products that are nearing their best-before date. People can buy these in supermarkets, but also from organisations such as Too Good to Go and Foodello. However, consumers who do this should know the difference between a best-before date (THT in Dutch) and a use-by date (TGT).

In the case of products with a best-before date, consumers are advised to look, smell and taste whether a product is still good enough to eat after that date. Products with a use-by date are no longer safe to eat after that date. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, many consumers do not know the difference between the two labels. It is therefore important to make sure that people are well informed about this.

RIVM carried out this investigation on behalf of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).