1. Introduction
In a world with limited natural resources (land, water, energy)
and where cost-effective solutions are yet to be found to produce
sufficient safe and nutritious food for all, reducing food losses
should not be a forgotten priority (FAO, 2011). In addition to being
the world’s major consumers of food, Europeans and North
Americans are also estimated to be the world’s most wasteful, with
a total of 95–115 kg of annual food waste per capita (FAO, 2011),
which corresponds to more than one third of the total food
production in these countries.
In Europe, the largest part of food waste occurs at the consumer
level (EPRS, 2014). Public authorities have gained knowledge of
this issue and now support research programs on food waste.
The present study relates to one of these programs sponsored by
the French Government.
Various reasons may explain food waste in Western countries.
They range from shopping and consumption behaviors (especially
the weekly grocery shopping habit that is widespread in many
households) to food safety issues. For example, previous studies
have identified several variables related to food waste: the