The dark side of retail food waste: Evidences from in-store data

•Meta-analysis is used to compare 16 articles dealing with retail food waste quantification.•Detailed data on mass and value of food waste by department is analysed.•35% of the store's food waste is found to be fit for human consumption.•Significant quantities of unrecorded food waste are disclosed.

This study tackles the quantification of in-store food waste, with a specific focus on the distinction between the edible and inedible fraction. A meta-analysis of the studies dealing with retail food waste quantification is provided to identify the results obtained so far. Then, the mass and value of food waste produced in 2015 at one retail store in Italy is analysed, basing on the store's food waste records and on the reports of a redistribution initiative involving the edible fraction of the food waste produced. In one year, 70.6 tons of food (for a value of nearly 170,000 €) are wasted, mostly bread and fresh fruit and vegetables. The edible fraction accounts for 35% of the total food waste, mostly from fresh meat and bakery departments. Results also disclose a significant amount of unrecorded food waste, confirming that many gaps exist in the food waste recording procedure at retail stores.