Table 1.

Overview of systematic review results

AuthorYearCountry/regionState of foodMethodStudy methodologyFood supply chain: (kg/capita)/yearTotal
Agricultural productionPostharvest handling and storageProcessing and packagingDistributionConsumption
Abdulla et al. (2013) 2009CanadaEdible and inedibleUsed secondary Statistics Canada data, which in turn used USDA ‘waste factors’, and World Bank data to develop estimatesIndirect    308·2 
AAFC (2015) 2010CanadaEdible and inedibleUsed Statistics Canada and USDA data to develop estimateIndirect   54·5121·5 
Bernstad et al. (2012) 2008SwedenEdible and inedibleWeighing all waste leaving the study area and repeated waste composition analyses of large samples from all fractionsDirect    95·7 
Bernstad et al. (2013) 2009SwedenEdible and inedibleWeighing of all waste fractions, repeated waste composition analyses of disposed waste and a questionnaireDirect    68·8 
Brautigam et al. (2014) 2006EUEdible and inedibleCalculations are based on a FAO mass flow methodology (based on Food Balance Sheets, described in Gustavsson et al., 2011, 2013)Indirect95·230·633·514·4114·8288·5
Buzby and Hyman (2012) 2008USAEdibleCompiled estimates of food loss using the USDA ERS's (2014) Loss-Adjusted Food Availability (LAFA) dataIndirect    188·0 
Buzby et al. (2014) 2010USAEdibleCompiled estimates of food loss using the USDA ERS's (2014)  LAFA dataIndirect   63·3195·0 
Defra (2010) 2007EnglandEdible and inedibleThe results from various curbside and recycling depot waste audits were summarised to develop an estimate of waste quantity and composition, including food wasteDirect    83·2 
EC (2010) 2006EUEdible and inedibleUsed 2006 Eurostat data and various national sources to compile total food waste per countryIndirect  70·033·975·9179·8
Edjabou et al. (2015) 2013DenmarkEdible and inedibleA waste auditing methodology was developed and used to estimate the composition, including food waste, of curbside single family and multi residential wasteDirect    86·6 
Edjabou et al. (2015) 2013DenmarkEdible and inedibleA waste auditing methodology was developed and used to estimate the composition, including food waste, of curbside single family and multi residential wasteDirect    75·3 
Garrone et al. (2014) Not providedItalyEdible and inedibleCase studies were used to develop an extrapolated estimate of the amount of food waste generated from food processing and distribution/retail sales in ItalyIndirect  3·013·0  
Griffin et al. (2009) 1999USAEdible and inedibleA case study was conducted in a single upper New York State County to estimate food waste generation along the FSC. Information was gathered through interviews and from published county, state and national sourcesIndirect19·3 1·217·657·695·6
Gustavsson et al. (2011) 2007North America and OceaniaEdibleUsed FAO datasets and assumptions to address data gaps to develop estimates of FLW along the FSCIndirect    115·0300·0
Gustavsson et al. (2011) 2007EuropeEdibleUsed FAO datasets and assumptions to address data gaps to develop estimates of FLW along the FSCIndirect    95·0280·0
Hodges et al. (2010) 2008USAEdibleUsed 2008 USDA ERS, data to develop an estimate of food wasteIndirect   64·0123·8 
Jones (2006) Not providedUSAEdible and inedibleNo explanation of methods     213·6 
Jones (2005) Not providedUSAEdible and inedibleNo explanation of methods    106·4 296
Kantor et al. (1997) 1995USAEdible and inedibleThe USDA ERS (2014) developed preliminary estimates of food waste generation by retail, food service and consumer sectors. Many of the studies on which these estimates are based date from the mid-1970s or beforeIndirect   9·3155·0266·3
Katajajuuri et al. (2014) and Silvennoinen et al. (2014) 2010FinlandEdibleHousehold food waste data was collected through a diary study. Food service sector data was collected by way of on site (i.e. weighing of food waste along various parts of food service chain – for example, cooking, serving, customer leftovers). Retail sector and industry data was collected by way of interviews of various parties in the supply chainDirect  14·0–26·026·0–30·023·0 
Langley et al. (2010) Not providedUKEdible and inedibleTested a method of quantifying (self-weighing) and estimating the composition (through use of a diary) of food waste disposed by householdsDirect    72·6 
Lebersorger and Schneider (2011) 2009AustriaEdible and inedibleCalculated the number (n) of urban and rural waste samples to collect and sort on the basis of a 95% confidence level, using mean and standard deviation (SD) data from previous waste analysesDirect    49·6 
Lebersorger and Schneider (2011) 2009AustriaEdible and inedibleCalculated the number (n) of urban and rural waste samples to collect and sort on the basis of a 95% confidence level, using mean and SD data from previous waste analysesDirect    18·8 
Matsuto and Ham (1990) 1989USAEdible and inedibleWaste samples collected from curb in Madison, Wisconsin and Sapporo, Japan and manually sorted into a number of categories, including food wasteDirect    65·3 
Matsuto and Ham (1990) 1988JapanEdible and inedibleWaste samples collected from curb in Madison, Wisconsin and Sapporo, Japan and manually sorted into a number of categories, including food wasteDirect    123·0 
Okazaki et al. (2008) 2005Hawaii, USAEdible and inedibleInformation collected on food establishments and their practices came from the State of Hawaii Department of Health list of permitted food establishments and a food waste recycling survey was developed and distributed to all permit holdersDirect   240·9  
Parizeau et al. (2015) 2015CanadaEdible and inedibleData from green bin only and did not include household garbage destined for landfill. Also allowable green bin items include other items besides food wasteDirect    217·4 
USDA ERS (2014) 2010USAEdible and inedibleCompiled estimates of food loss using the USDA ERS's (2014) LAFA dataIndirect     194·9
USEPA (2009) 2008USAEdible and inedibleUSEPA collects and reports on waste generation and disposal data in the USA and has done so for the last 30 years. Municipal solid waste (MSW) includes household, commercial and institutional wasteIndirect     104·5
USEPA (2014) 2012USAEdible and inedibleUSEPA collects and reports on waste generation and disposal data in the USA and has done so for the last 30 years. MSW includes household, commercial and institutional wasteIndirect     116·0
WRAP (2009) 2007UKEdible and inedibleEstimates of solid and liquid food waste were derived from annual waste generation totals obtained from municipalities, waste composition studies and diary researchDirect     134·3
WRAP (2013b) 2011UKEdible and inedibleGathered production and retail data and applied estimates of food waste to develop estimates. Developed a mass balance to estimate food waste types and how are they are managedDirect  61·77·1  
WRAP (2013a) 2012UKEdible and inedibleThe estimates for household food and drink waste were derived from a summary of waste audits and kitchen diary researchDirect     130·3
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