Storing extra holiday cookies and leftovers in the freezer not only extends their shelf life but also helps reduce the amount of edible food that is thrown away in U.S. households, according to a new study.
A national survey revealed that frozen items account for about 6% of wasted household food in the United States. Based on this relatively small contribution to food waste, researchers suggest that encouraging consumers to use their freezers more could help prevent premature disposal of food.
The study found that households that freeze food are less likely to waste it compared to those that do not. Freezing food was associated with less food ending up in the trash.
According to Lei Xu, the first author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar at The Ohio State University specializing in agricultural and food economics, “Households with home freezing behaviors are more likely to have less food waste than other households.”
Xu emphasized that food waste not only results in economic losses but also contributes to environmental damage. More than 90% of wasted food ends up in landfills, leading to greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging households to adopt home freezing habits could have a significant positive impact on the environment.
The study, conducted by Xu, graduate student Ran Li, and Brian Roe, a professor in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics at Ohio State, was recently published in the British Food Journal.
Roe, who has been studying household food waste for years, noted that freezing food has not been extensively explored in the context of food waste. While estimates suggest that about 30% of food in the U.S. is wasted, recent research indicates that consumer food waste is on the rise.
Based on the study’s findings, Xu suggested that educational campaigns could be useful in helping households balance their purchasing behavior and make the most of the food they buy.
The data for this study was collected through frozen food-related questions added to the U.S. National Household Food Waste Tracking Survey in the summer of 2022. The survey involved 1,067 households, which provided insights into frozen food purchasing and wastage patterns.
The findings indicated that households that buy frozen foods are more likely to shop infrequently and have a lower annual income. Meat, vegetables, and potatoes were among the most commonly discarded frozen foods.
Xu stressed the importance of increasing awareness about the benefits of freezing food to reduce waste. Frequent home freezing was linked to significantly less total food waste, particularly among older individuals living in larger households.
Surprisingly, the study found that more wasted frozen food was discarded from the refrigerator than from the freezer, suggesting a lack of understanding about food storage techniques among consumers. This highlights the need for clearer food storage instructions on labels.
Consumer education about the role of freezing in saving food could have economic and environmental benefits, as well as help address food insecurity experienced by some households. Xu emphasized the importance of promoting the use of frozen food and home freezing techniques to save food.
The study was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and a gift from the Frozen Food Foundation that enabled the collection of a larger survey sample.
