Processing Fruits and Vegetables as a Way to Prevent Their Waste

Ksenia Juszczak-Szelągowska, Iwona Kowalczuk, Dawid Olewnicki, Małgorzata Kosicka-Gębska and Dagmara Stangierska-Mazurkiewicz ()
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Ksenia Juszczak-Szelągowska: Department of Pomology and Horticulture Economics, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Iwona Kowalczuk: Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Dawid Olewnicki: Department of Pomology and Horticulture Economics, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Małgorzata Kosicka-Gębska: Department of Food Market and Consumer Research, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159C, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Dagmara Stangierska-Mazurkiewicz: Department of Pomology and Horticulture Economics, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 166, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: The aim of the current study was to determine the scale and underlying causes for the waste of raw and processed fruits and vegetables in Polish households. A survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1100 respondents. The collected empirical data were analyzed using statistical tools such as non-parametric tests, multiple regression methods, and logistic regression. This study assessed the level and determinants of waste of raw and processed fruits and vegetables, identified the reasons for this waste and their impact on its extent, and analyzed the effect of waste prevention methods (including processing) on the scale of product losses. This study showed that the scale of waste of processed fruits and vegetables in Polish consumer households is significantly lower than that of raw products. The level of waste for both raw and processed products vary depending on place of residence, education, income, household size, and, in the case of processed fruits and vegetables, also the age of respondents. The main reason for fruit and vegetable losses in households is missing the product’s expiration date. Logistic regression analysis showed that the most effective strategies for reducing the waste of raw fruits and vegetables include purchasing the right quantities and freezing them. In contrast, practices such as donating food to others or composting were linked to a statistically significant decrease in the likelihood of reducing waste.

Keywords: food waste; fruits and vegetables; raw vs. processed food; waste prevention; freezing; sustainable consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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