Seven out of ten Spanish households regularly waste food, according to a recent study by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). This study analyzes the amount of food discarded by families, especially those with children, and links this serious social issue to the socioeconomic characteristics of the family unit. The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition , indicate that families with young children and teenagers are the ones who waste the most food, while single-parent families and those with adult children waste the least.
Based on a survey of 800 Spanish households, the study found that perishable food items such as vegetables (80%), fruits (78%), and cereal-based products (63%) are the most wasted, followed by dairy products (25%), which are discarded more frequently in homes with small children. Animal-based products like meat, fish, and eggs, along with pre-cooked products, are the least wasted. Food spoilage is the main cause of food waste, primarily due to an inadequate food management, leading to frequent small amounts of waste and the over-purchase of perishable items that end up in the trash before being consumed.
The typical shopper profile is a woman (70% of cases), under 54 years old (79%), who works full or part-time (78%) and spends an average of 537 euros per month on food. Half of the families shop at supermarkets and hypermarkets, and two out of three households make a s.
