Food waste in lower middle-class households

Abstract

It was intended to investigate the phenomenon of household food waste, from the antecedents to the final stage of the supply chain, in lower middle-class households located in a municipality in the west and another in the southwest of Paraná. The consumer decision process was explored, identifying at each stage of the itinerary: the purchase decision, the shopping trip, the moment of purchase, the organization of purchases at home, the preparation for use, the consumption, the disposal and the cultural aspects of consumers. The research has a qualitative character and a narrative approach based on semi-structured interviews and on-site observation. Data were analyzed by content analysis. It is concluded that the main antecedents of waste were: lack of purchase planning, excessive purchases and food storage, in addition to excessive preparations and the lack of interest in consuming leftovers, a result from behavioral aspects, such as abundance and hospitality.