Household food waste accounts for the most significant part of total food waste in economically developed countries. In recent times, this issue has gained recognition in the international research community and policy making. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals of FAO, mandatory reporting on food waste has been integrated into European legislation, as a basis of preventive programs. The paper presents the results of research that aimed to quantify the food waste generated by Hungarian households. Research methodology was based on the EU compliant FUSIONS recommendations. In total, 165 households provided reliable data with detailed waste logs. Households were supported by kitchen scales, measuring glasses, and a manual. Based on the extrapolation of the week-long measurement, the average food waste was estimated to be 65.49 kg per capita annually, of which the avoidable part represented 48.81%. Within the avoidable part, meals, bakery products, fresh fruits and vegetables, and dairy products are accountable for 88% of the mass. This study was a replication of the first Hungarian household food waste measurement conducted in 2016 with the same methodology. Between the two periods, a 4% decrease was observed. The findings, for instance the dominant share of meals in food waste, should be put in focus during preventive campaigns. National level food waste measurement studies using the FUSIONS methodology should be fostered by policy makers to establish the foundations of effective governmental interventions and allow for the international benchmarking of preventive actions.

Foodborne diseases are a global burden, are preventable, and young people are a key population for behaviour change as they gain autonomy. This study aimed to explore young people’s needs across several European countries in relation to learning about and implementing food hygiene and food safety. Qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted in rural and city regions across England, France, Hungary and Portugal. Data were collected to attain data saturation, transcribed, thematically analysed, and mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework. Twenty-five out of 84 schools approached (29.8%) participated, with data collected from 156 11–18-year-old students. Students had good knowledge of personal hygiene but did not always follow hygiene rules due to forgetfulness, lack of facilities or lack of concern for consequences. Students had limited understanding of foodborne microbes, underestimated the risks and consequences of foodborne illness and perceived the “home” environment as the safest. Young people preferred interactive educational methods. Addressing gaps in young people’s food safety knowledge is essential to improve their lack of concern towards foodborne illness and motivate them to follow food hygiene and safety behaviours consistently. Findings have been used to develop educational resources to address gaps in knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Az elmúlt két évtizedben a tudományos közösség jelentős mértékű ismeretet halmozott fel a fogyasztói élelmiszer-pazarlással kapcsolatban. Ismerjük a pazarlást befolyásoló egyéni, társadalmi, demográfiai tényezőket, és számos tapasztalatunk van a csökkentési programok tervezésének, kivitelezésének tekintetében. Az Európai Unió ebben az időszakban az élelmiszer-hulladékok csökkentésére jogszabályi keretrendszert, valamint szakpolitikai programcsomagot épített fel. Az EU célja, hogy – követve az ENSZ fenntartható fejlődési irányvonalát (SDG 12.3) – 2030-ig felére csökkentse a fogyasztói élelmiszer-hulladék mennyiségét [1]. Ennek érdekében a tagállamokat nemzeti élelmiszerhulladék-megelőzési programok indítására, valamint az élelmiszer-hulladékok mennyiségének mérésére és jelentésére kötelezte. Cikkünkben ismertetjük az említett jogszabályi és szakpolitikai keretrendszert. Tanulmányunk célja továbbá feltérképezni a tagállami élelmiszerhulladék-megelőzési programokat, valamint azok célkitűzéseit vizsgálni az ENSZ SDG 12.3 csökkentési cél tükrében. Megvizsgáltuk az élelmiszerhulladék-csökkentés területén zászlóshajónak számító nemzetközi projekteket is. Az eddigi tapasztalatok alapján a tagállamok elköteleződtek az 50%-os csökkentési cél irányában, azonban az összehangolt mérési módszertan, a viszonyítási bázis és a beavatkozási programok hatékonysága terén egyelőre kevés információ áll rendelkezésre. A csökkentési cél reális megvalósíthatósága tehát egyelőre kérdéses. Javaslatunk az EU szintjén egyéni tagállami csökkentési célok meghatározása, valamint a csökkentési programok hatékonyságát ellenőrző egységes rendszer kialakítása.

Laos is one of the 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) of the world, where the isolation from the sea and the lack of a large-scale fishing industry have a direct effect on fish supply and fish consumption. Per capita fish consumption in LLDCs amounted to 4.6 kg/year in 2017, which is much lower than the world average (20.3 kg) as well as the Developing Regions average (19.4 kg). However, per capita fish consumption in Laos has reached 25.57 kg/year in 2021 representing the highest among the 32 LLDCs. Relying on the results and experiences of several decades of work in aquaculture development in Laos and taking into account the observations of local and international publications, documents and statistics included, the authors have investigated the reasons for the elevated fish consumption in Laos from different perspectives including that of aquaculture, and Lao language, culture, and religion. In this review, the authors analyzed the availability of aquatic resources, the role of fishing and aquaculture in the Lao economy and social life, market realities, as well as the importance of fish in the Lao culture.

Promoting behaviour change through interventions can help reduce or prevent household food waste. One promising intervention is the food waste diary, a self-report tool. Recent evidence suggests that consumers systematically misperceive both the amount and composition of the food waste they generate. A food waste diary can help make these quantities and compositions more visible and may serve as an intervention to reduce household food waste. This study collected data from 260 Hungarian and 121 Swiss households. Participants quantified their household food waste across 14 food categories over seven consecutive days using food waste diaries. They were asked to classify their food waste as avoidable, potentially avoidable or unavoidable. In a survey, participants described their experiences of self-reporting their food waste and suggested solutions for reducing food waste through free-text responses. Swiss households had a higher proportion of potentially avoidable food waste (34%) than Hungarian households (9%). However, many participants struggled to distinguish between avoidable, potentially avoidable and unavoidable waste. Regarding their experiences, participants noted that keeping a food waste diary increased their awareness of their food waste and could potentially help them reduce it. Swiss participants suggested several measures for reducing food waste, including raising awareness, improving knowledge of proper food storage and implementing stricter food waste policies for retailers. Overall, this study provides new descriptive insights into food waste behaviour in two European countries and offers implications for future food waste quantification, interventions and reduction strategies.

Laos is one of the 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) of the world, where isolation from the sea and the lack of a large-scale fishing industry have a direct effect on fish supply and fish consumption. Per capita fish consumption in LLDCs amounted to 5.1 kg/year in 2023, which is much lower than the world average (20.3 kg) as well as the Developing Regions average (20.0 kg). However, per capita fish consumption in Laos has reached 28.5 kg/year in 2023, representing the highest among the 32 LLDCs. Relying on the results and experiences of several decades of work in aquaculture development in Laos and taking into account the observations of local and international publications, documents and statistics included, the authors aimed at identifying the principal reasons for the elevated fish consumption in Laos from different perspectives, including that of aquaculture, as well as Lao language, culture, and religion. In this review, the authors analyzed the availability of aquatic resources, the role of fishing and aquaculture in the Lao economy and social life, market realities, as well as the importance of fish in Lao culture.