Determinants of how individuals choose, eat and waste: Providing common ground to enhance sustainable food consumption out‐of‐home

Abstract

The transformation of food consumption in wealthy economies is regarded as an essential measure to reach global sustainability goals. However, existing policies and research activities to change food consumption in the increasingly relevant out-of-home sector relate to a wide set of options on how to influence behaviours and may be criticized to lack a general focus. Against this background, our study provides a structured review of the existing research body on the determinants of individuals' food choices and food consumption out-of-home. It structures the various research approaches and findings for 110 selected papers according to a general ecological framework where personal, social and environmental determinants for food behaviours are considered. By providing a collective overview and linking results for different behavioural aspects and settings, this study supports a more general understanding of consumer food behaviour in out-of-home settings. Consequently, it also provides a means to identify research gaps and to suggest relevant aspects for future research to draw from the combination of findings and to enhance sustainability in food consumption. K E Y W O R D Seating behaviour, ecological framework, food choice, literature review, out-of-home consumption, sustainable consumption | I NTR OD U CTI ONThe United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals provide a central agenda for improving sustainability at a global level. One of the 17 goals addresses more sustainable consumption and production patterns in order to '(. . .) reduce future economic, environmental and social costs (. . .)' and specifically focuses on food consumption and the dietary choices and habits of individuals (United Nations, 2016). Accordingly, the FAO (2016a) names lifestyles (e.g., symbolized by eating out-of-home) and diets (following trends) as two important aspects that have to be considered for improving sustainability at a global level.On the international level, many different activities and events for more sustainable consumption patterns take place [see the Sustainable Food Systems Programme (SFSP), established by FAO and UNEP in 2011]. Single policies within the European Union (EU) have been or recently are concerned with aspects of sustainable food consumption of individuals such as health (i.e., the third Health Program, European Commission, 2016) or the responsible use of scarce resources (i.e., the 'Stop Food Waste' initiative, European Union, 2016). These policies however also need to consider ongoing trends of lower relative overall household expenditures for food along with an increasing share of food consumed in out-of-home settings compared to in-home consumption (European Commission, 2011;Gracia & Albisu, 2001;Paddock, Warde, & Whillans, 2017). Therefore, the out-of-home consumption sector and especially group catering, which provides food to individuals on a more regular basis than individual gastronomy, should be considered as a relevant setting in which interventions with the aim to facilitate and...

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