There are few scientific papers dealing with the packaging of fresh bread and consumer preferences as to the packaging. There are also few scientific papers on consumer behavior regarding shopping routines, storing, and the use of fresh bread in connection with food waste from households. The primary scope of this study has been to gain new understanding and expertise when comparing the characteristics of consumers who report no wasting of fresh bread with those who report wasting a significant quantity of fresh bread every week. In addition, the authors have identified and analyzed the main reasons for wasting fresh-packed bread in Norway, and the way in which those reasons relate to varying aspects of consumer behavior. This expertise is important for those working in the development, production, and sale of food. It will enable them to take effective measures relating to the various consumer groups so as to prevent the waste of bread by consumers. A web-based questionnaire has been employed, with 1000 respondents, in order to collect data for the analyses. There were significant differences between the groups who reported wasting a significant amount of bread (seven slices or more a week) and groups who wasted no fresh bread at all. This was especially noticeable when focusing on age and household size. Other factors were shopping behavior, and the freezing and toasting of bread at home, which can minimize the wasting of bread. Low wasters employ clear strategies to avoid food waste (freezing, re-packing, and shopping) and these strategies are not seen in the group of high-wasters. The findings from this study may provide useful insight for those working with the development of packaging and products in the food industry, as well as those in the retail sector, as it identifies consumer preferences, viewpoints on packaging and attitudes towards the freshness of bread. As a sizeable group of consumers in this study stated that they use an additional plastic bag in addition to the original packaging, it is clear that consumers do not perceive the original packaging as being good enough to preserve the quality of fresh bread.

Bread is a staple food in Norway, with a yearly per capita consumption of 52 kg. It is an important source of energy, dietary fibre and protein as well as certain minerals and vitamins. Previous studies have shown that bread has a relatively low environmental impact compared with other foods. Food waste studies, however, have shown that bread and other baked goods have a high wastage rate in Norway. On the basis of lower Norwegian wheat yields, it is therefore expected that the environmental impact of bread could be higher than in other European countries. The purpose of this study was to assess the environmental impact of bread from cradle to grave, identify environmental hotspots, examine the role of packaging in bread waste and identify possible remediation measures with a particular focus on the post-farm value chain. The results showed that for every kilogram of bread consumed, the global warming potential was 0.99 kg CO₂-eq, the eutrophication potential was 7.2 g PO₄-eq, the acidification potential was 8.4 g SO₂-eq and the cumulative energy demand was 18 MJ. The principal uncertainty within the calculation was the use of database data for the 21 ingredients. For example, the effect of soil mineralisation, which could give significant CO₂ and N₂O emissions, was not included because figures have only been quantified for a few ingredients and there is no international agreement on the methodology. The primary hotspot was the production of the ingredients, principally at the agricultural stage, while bread waste took the second place. The highest potential for the reduction of post-farm environmental impact lies in reducing product wastage at the retail and consumer stages. Consumers already employ strategies to reduce wastage, such as using extra packaging and freezing and toasting bread. This study shows that other consumer packaging solutions can keep the bread fresh for longer, thus reducing wastage and the need for the abovementioned consumer strategies. Nevertheless, other researches in this subject have shown that consumer preferences and behaviours play a significant role in the creation of bread waste, and this should therefore be taken into account when planning reduction measures.