[Survey on Food Loss] Approximately 74% of people buy 'products near their best-by/expiration date' if discounted. Less than 30% regularly buy them even without discount.

<< TOPICS >>

Nearly 70% of people are interested in food loss. Conscious actions include "not buying unnecessary or excessive items" (approx. 55%), "checking best-by/expiration dates to ensure consumption" (nearly 40%), and "not leaving food on the plate" (over 30%).

For discounted items, "products nearing their best-by/expiration date" account for approximately 74%, and "items with no quality issues but with minor defects" account for nearly 60%. Even without discount, "items with no quality issues but with minor defects" are regularly purchased by approximately 36%, and "products nearing their best-by/expiration date" by less than 30%.

MyVoiceCom Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Shintaro Shimizu) conducted its third internet survey on "Food Loss" from April 1 to April 7, 2026.

The survey asked about interest in food loss, purchasing habits of "imperfect" products, and what respondents would like companies and producers to do, in free-form comments. The survey results are as follows.

[Target audience] MyVoiceCom survey monitors [Survey method] Internet survey (net research) [Survey period] April 1 - April 7, 2026 [Number of respondents] 11,049 people [Survey results details] https://myel.myvoice.jp/products/detail/33312

◆ Level of Interest in Food Loss

Nearly 70% of people are interested in food loss, combining "interested" and "somewhat interested." The percentage is higher among women and older age groups, reaching nearly 80% for women in their 60s and over 85% for women in their 70s. In contrast, it is lower for men in their 10s to 40s, at around 50% for each group.

◆ Reasons/Situations for Discarding Edible Food

We asked about the reasons or situations for discarding food or ingredients that were still edible/usable (multiple answers). "Could not finish before the best-by/expiration date" was 37.1%, "could not store properly and quality deteriorated" was 31.0%, and "forgot I bought it, or forgot about it after partially using/opening" was 23.9%. These items had a higher percentage among women.

◆ Conscious Actions Regarding Food Loss

Conscious actions taken regarding food loss (multiple answers) include "not buying unnecessary or excessive items" (54.5%), "checking best-by/expiration dates to ensure consumption" (39.0%), and "not leaving food on the plate" (32.2%). Many items showed a higher percentage among women, with "checking stock before buying," "using ingredients/food without waste," and "eating leftover dishes by arranging them instead of discarding" showing particularly large gender differences. All of these tend to be higher among women and older age groups. *For more details, such as continuation of graphs and chronological trends, please refer to the "Survey Results Details."

◆ Purchasing Status of Imperfect Products

We asked about the types of imperfect food/ingredients people purchase. If discounted, items purchased (multiple answers) include "products nearing their best-by/expiration date" (74.4%), "items with no quality issues but with minor defects" (58.4%), and "foods past their best-by date but with no quality issues" (30.1%). "Products nearing their best-by/expiration date" and "items with no quality issues but with minor defects" are higher among older women, while "foods past their best-by date but with no quality issues" is slightly higher among men in their 40s-50s.

Even without discount, items regularly purchased (multiple answers) include "items with no quality issues but with minor defects" (36.1%), "products nearing their best-by/expiration date" (29.7%), and "foods past their best-by date but with no quality issues" (9.9%). "Items with no quality issues but with minor defects" show a higher percentage among women and older age groups, exceeding 50% for women in their 70s. "None of these" accounts for over 40%, and is higher among men in their 10s-50s. *For more details, such as chronological trends, please refer to the "Survey Results Details."

<< RESPONDENTS' COMMENTS >>

☆ What respondents want companies and producers to do regarding food loss (total 3,777 comments)

No need for best-by dates, only expiration dates are sufficient. (Male, 36)

I'd like JA to promote services that offer cheap misshapen produce (vegetables and fruits). Also for children's food education. (Male, 49)

Food loss online supermarkets for single people can't buy much, and if I try to buy, shipping costs are high, so I can't really buy. I'd like them to do something about lowering shipping costs or the free shipping threshold. (Female, 29)

I'd like them to reduce the amount of tsukudani, pickles, and other side dishes received as souvenirs. I usually can't finish them and they go to waste. (Female, 36)

I hear that large quantities of products are made for each event and then discarded, so I want them to avoid overproducing.