Why people are bad at leftover food management? A systematic literature review and a framework to analyze household leftover food waste generation behavior

Food waste is a significant global problem. In the global north, households are a major driver of food waste generation and also a key enabler of solutions to address the issue. Leftover food management is identified as one of the key areas that can be targeted to reduce food waste at home. Although a large body of literature exists on household food waste and its drivers, managing food leftovers has received less attention. This state-of-the-art review focuses on leftover food management practices with the view of supporting practitioners in designing and prioritizing behavioral interventions to reduce leftover food waste in households. It uses the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to select articles for the review. Based on 42 primary studies, this systematic review identifies a range of psycho-social, socio-demographic and lifestyle factors influencing leftover food waste generation behavior at home. Moreover, household food handling skills and knowledge, and availability and accessibility to infrastructure facilities affect leftover food waste generation behavior. Based on the synthesized literature, Leftover Food Waste Generation Behavior (LFWGB) Framework has been developed. The framework conceptualizes psycho-social, personal and lifestyle factors driving leftover food management behaviors at home. Reducing food leftovers must be given top priority along with consumer meal planning and food preparation skills in household food waste reduction interventions and campaigns.