Are knowledge and behaviours related to food purchase, storage and cooking in the domestic context affected by the current cost of living crisis?
- Project start date: 1 June 2024
- Project status: In the field
- Project type: Food safety
- Discipline: Microbiology and food hygiene
- Author/s: Dr Fiona Lavelle, King’s College London
- Collaborator/s: Dr Amanda McCloat, St. Angela’s College, Sligo; Dr Elaine Mooney, St. Angela’s College, Sligo; Dr Lynsey Hollywood, Ulster University
Research objective
- To summarise and identify knowledge gaps (via a systematic scoping literature review) in relation to how the cost-of-living crisis influences on consumers’ cooking behaviours and food practices (in relation to storage, meal planning, shopping, budgeting, food safety etc.)
- To assess (via an online survey study) consumers’ cooking and food behaviours, food insecurity, confidence in changing food behaviours and their food resource management strategies across the island of Ireland
- To determine (via fridge audit), assess (via consumer survey) and explore (via consumer interviews) consumer food safety knowledge and food behaviours (including storage, planning, management of leftovers) and the influence of the cost-of-living crisis.
- To investigate (via expert focus groups perceptions of consumer meal planning, food purchasing, food storage practices, cooking behaviours, use of leftovers, how the cost-of-living crisis has impacted on these, and their insights on consumer developed resource management strategies.
