Consumer Perception, Food Waste and Food Packaging Research
A Bibliometric Analysis from 2016 to 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63635/mrj.v2i2.271Keywords:
Consumer perception, Food waste, Food packaging, Bibliometric analysis, Biblioshiny, VOSviewerAbstract
Food packaging is regarded as a threat to the environment because of the waste it produces. Packaging prevents food from spoilage, extends its shelf life and reduces environmental damage by reducing down the food waste. By reviewing the previous literature, consumer knowledge, interest, degree of awareness and understanding of the packaging functions are identified to influence their acceptance and rejection of packaging technologies, including those designed to reduce food waste. The purpose of this study is to analyse the evolution and intellectual structure of consumer perception, food waste and food packaging research. It specifically analyses publication trends, major sources, citations, researcher co-authorship networks and the evolution of keywords and thematic areas within the domain. To achieve these objectives, a bibliometric analysis was carried out on publications using the Web of Science database from 2016 to 2026. A total of 118 documents were analysed with the Bibliometrix package through the Biblioshiny interface and VOSviewer. The results showed a significant increase in publications after 2020 within the selected dataset, reflecting the increasing research attention to food packaging, food waste management and studies on consumer behaviour related dimensions. The findings indicate increasing scholarly attention to the intersection of consumer-related packaging, food-waste management and sustainability-oriented themes within the selected dataset.
Downloads
References
[1] Nabi, N.; Karunasena, G.G.; Pearson, D. Food waste in Australian households: Role of shopping habits and personal motivations. J. Consum. Behav. 2021, 20(6), 1523-1533, https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1963. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1963
[2] Kasza, G.; Dorkó, A.; Kunszabó, A.; Szakos, D. Quantification of Household Food Waste in Hungary: A Replication Study Using the FUSIONS Methodology. Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3069, https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083069. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083069
[3] Salume, P.K.; Barbosa, M.W.; Marcelo, d. R. P. Food Waste and Consumer Behavior: A Bibliometric and Review Study and Future Research Directions. Foods 2026, 15(2), 380, https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020380. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15020380
[4] González-Santana, R.A.; Blesa, J.; Frígola, A.; Esteve, M.J. Dimensions of household food waste focused on family and consumers. Crit. Rev. Food Sci. Nutr. 2020, 62(9), 23422354, https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1853033. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1853033
[5] Gustavsson, J. Global food losses and food waste – Extent, causes and prevention; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy, 2011.
[6] Brief on Food Waste in the European Union. Available online: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/reports-and-technical-documentation/brief-food-waste-european-union_en (accessed on 22 May 2026).
[7] Widayat; Handayanto, E.; Irfani, A.D.; Masudin, I. A systematic literature review and future research agenda on the dynamics of food waste in the context of consumer behavior. Sustain. Futures 2025, 9, 100491, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100491. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sftr.2025.100491
[8] Ardra, S.; Barua, M.K. Inclusion of circular economy practices in the food supply chain: Challenges and possibilities for reducing food wastage in emerging economies like India. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 2022, 25, 13825-13858, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02630-x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02630-x
[9] Nascimento, A.G.M.; et al. The impact of packaging design on the perceived quality of honey by Brazilian consumers. Food Res. Int. 2022, 151, 110887, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110887. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110887
[10] Marsh, K.; Bugusu, B. Food packaging—roles, materials, and environmental issues. J. Food Sci. 2007, 72(3), R39-R55, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00301.x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00301.x
[11] Han, J.-W.; Ruiz-Garcia, L.; Qian, J.-P.; Yang, X.-T. Food Packaging: A Comprehensive Review and Future Trends. Compr. Rev. Food Sci. Food Saf. 2018, 17(4), 860-877, https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12343. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12343
[12] Yan, M.R.; Hsieh, S.; Ricacho, N. Innovative Food Packaging, Food Quality and Safety, and Consumer Perspectives. Processes 2022, 10(4), 747, https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040747. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040747
[13] Yun, B.; et al. Consumer perception data and scientific arguments about food packaging functionalities for fresh strawberries. Data Brief 2018, 20, 1924-1927, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.09.034. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.09.034
[14] Norton, V.; Waters, C.; Oloyede, O.O.; Lignou, S. Exploring Consumers’ Understanding and Perception of Sustainable Food Packaging in the UK. Foods 2022, 11(21), 3424, https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213424. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213424
[15] Koutsimanis, G.; Getter, K.; Behe, B.; Harte, J.; Almenar, E. Influences of packaging attributes on consumer purchase decisions for fresh produce. Appetite 2012, 59(2), 270-280, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.05.012. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2012.05.012
[16] Casonato, C.; García-Herrero, L.; Caldeira, C.; Sala, S. What a waste! Evidence of consumer food waste prevention and its effectiveness. Sustain. Prod. Consum. 2023, 41, 305319, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.08.002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.08.002
[17] Gál, T.; Kovács, S.; Buglyó-Nyakas, E. A comprehensive analysis of food waste through historical context: A bibliometric study from 2019 to 2024. Clean. Waste Syst. 2025, 11, 100318, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100318. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100318
[18] Aria, M.; Cuccurullo, C. bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. J. Informetr. 2017, 11(4), 959-975, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007
[19] Sharma, G.S.; Chintalapati, N.; Verma, P. A bibliometric analysis of social media use for personal learning outcomes using biblioshiny & VOSviewer. Int. J. Syst. Assur. Eng. Manag. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-024-02599-y. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13198-024-02599-y
[20] Abdul, M.-E.; Pavoni, E. Bacillus cereus in food safety: a bibliometric analysis. Front. Microbiol. 2025, 16, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1574802. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1574802
[21] Sarkar, A.; Wang, H.; Rahman, A.; Memon, W.H.; Qian, L. A bibliometric analysis of sustainable agriculture: based on the Web of Science (WOS) platform. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2022, 29, 38928-38949, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19632-x. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-19632-x
[22] Aleixandre-Benavent, R.; Aleixandre-Tudó, J.L.; Castelló-Cogollos, L.; Aleixandre, J.L. Trends in scientific research on climate change in agriculture and forestry subject areas (2005–2014). J. Clean. Prod. 2017, 147, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.01.112
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Kangkan Jyoti Borah, Runumi Das, Shiv Kumar Verma (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright © Author(s) retain the copyright of this article.
