Innovative fibre-based packaging solutions for fresh bakery products

The main objective of this multi-disciplinary research project was a significant improvement of the lifetime of freshly baked bread, thus substantially reducing the losses by at least 25%. Losses and waste of fresh bakery products during production, distribution and retail are a major economic problem for the bakery sector in Norway, and highly undesirable from both an ethical and environmental perspective.

The Breadpack project was to promote R&D and innovation in food packaging through a broad project organization including research providers, bread packaging supplier, bakeries and grocers. Through a pH.D. thesis the project get a better understanding of what characterizes consumers wasting little or no fresh bread from those who are wasting a large amount of fresh bread each week. Further, it was aimed at increasing the understanding of which are the main reasons behind wasting of fresh-packed bread in Norway, and how those reasons relate to different aspects of consumer behaviour. This knowledge was important to develop strategies for prevention of bread waste by consumers, and to make the right efforts towards different consumer groups.