Six of every ten Brazilians waste food at home

A research study on food waste reveals that 61% of Brazilians dispose of one or two foods in perfect state every week. Nearly half of the interviewed (49%) admitted to doing it on a daily basis. The survey was conducted at the request of the company Unilever in partnership with the United Nations (UN).

The study was carried out internationally, and heard 4 thousand people—2 thousand Americans, a thousand Brazilians, and a thousand Argentinians aged 18–64, from August to September, 2017. The respondents are responsible for or involved in the decision making process as well as the preparation of food.

Refrigerator blindness

The so-called refrigerator blindness—the habit of not seeing or ignoring food—is regarded among the worst wasting habits. Most people who buy and waste food (81%) name lack of inspiration as the big problem. Many look at the fridge but cannot think of what to cook or eat (78%).

Also seen as the villains of the piece are the habit of buying food more than necessary (54%), parents who purchase extra foodstuffs to indulge the desires of other family members (37%), and the purchase of different items to try out, which prove not to the taste of eaters (31%).

The most commonly wasted foodstuffs are perishable, like salads (74%), vegetables (73%), and fruits (73%). When deciding whether or not to throw an item away, Brazilians take into account the way it smells or looks (85%) and the best-before date (83%).

According to the UN, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted across the world every year. In Brazil, 41 thousand tons are disposed of every day—enough to feed 25 million people on a daily basis.