Bad apples and blemished bananas are not putting off German shoppers, who ‘consciously’ buy products about to expire, in order to save money.
In a new survey commissioned by Kaufland, the German supermarket chain, one in two people knowingly buys products with best-before dates that are about to expire.
One in four regularly buys fruit and vegetables with minor blemishes, while eight out of ten then feel guilty when food ends up in the trash – although 86% admitted that food was chucked in with their household waste because it had started to smell bad.
Food Waste
The findings were published in tandem with Germany’s nationwide ‘Too Good For The Bin’ campaign, which runs from 29 September to 6 October, advising households on how to reduce food waste.
According to the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL), most food waste still occurs in the home, with around 60% of the nation’s food waste ending up in householders’ bins.
In the survey, however, a third of respondents suspect that most food waste occurs in retail stores, although that figure is actually around 7%.
“The responsible handling of food is the be-all and end-all for us as a food retailer, and is therefore also a central topic of our sustainability commitment,” said Ines Rottwilm, head of sustainability at Kaufland. “We want to draw more attention to the topic because everyone can really make a difference.”
Money-Saving
Another reason why Germans are reaching for products nearing their expiry dates is the value to be had from their reduced prices, often saving euro on similar but fresher products.
Because of this, Kaufland’s survey shows that 22% often buy baked goods, fruit and vegetables that were reduced before the store closed, while 18.5% buy bread and baked goods from the day before.
Interestingly, food waste seems to be a generational issue, with around half of those over 65 throwing out food less than once a month. By contrast, over 70% of 30- to 39-year-olds throw away food at least once a month, compared to just over 60% of 18- to 29-year-olds.
