This study aims to empirically analyze the impact of regulation awareness in relation to the “Anti-Food Waste Law” and focuses on wasting rice in online purchased meals and its underlying mechanisms.
A survey conducted from October 2023 to May 2024 collected responses from 998 consumers in Shanghai, China. The analysis involves the sequential application of several methodologies, including the entropy method, descriptive statistical analysis, logit models, the Karlson-Holm-Breen method, instrumental variable methods and propensity score matching.
Regulation awareness reduces rice-wasting behavior in online purchased meals by enhancing consumer food security literacy, which acts as a complete mediating variable. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the regulation awareness effect reduces rice waste, especially among consumers older than 30 years, those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and suburban area residents.
The results underscore the major role of regulation awareness in rice wasting reduction in online purchased meals among consumers. Furthermore, increasing consumer food security literacy serves as an effective intervention strategy and provides insights for the formulation of effective food waste reduction policies.
