This project reviews and extends the evidence on bread purchase, consumption, and disposal patterns by households. A systematic review of the literature is followed by a survey to fill in gaps in the literature, categorising differences by bread type.
Department: Crop Science
Supervised by: Simone Pfuderer
Bread is an important staple food, accounting for around 10% of dietary energy in the UK (NDNS, Years 9 – 11). At the same time, bread is one of our most wasted foods. It is estimated that around one in five slices of bread purchased were not eaten in 2020 (WRAP, 2021). Reducing bread waste has an important role to play in reducing the environmental impact of our food consumption and in meeting Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (halve global food waste by 2030). This project reviews and extends the evidence on bread purchase, consumption, and waste patterns by households. A systematic review of the literature will be carried out to determine the current knowledge about bread waste . A brief initial review suggests that the evidence on bread waste is scarce, for example, with respect to how wastage varies between bread types. Based on the literature review, gaps in the evidence will be identified. The second phase of the project will address at least one of the gaps identified by designing a survey of UK consumers. The student will be guided in the application of appropriate survey methodologies. The student will set up, check and test the survey using tools on the Qualtrics platform. This project complements two research projects at the University of Reading, Raising the Pulse and High Fibre, which focus on healthier bread alternatives and their environmental impacts. The student will have opportunities to engage with these projects which include collaborators across several UoR departments and external institutions.
- Systematic literature review on bread consumption and waste -Summarising the findings from the literature review and identifying gaps in the literature - Based on the findings of the literature review, design of an online survey to address at least one of the identified gaps applying survey design methodologies to reduce sampling error and biases - Setting up, checking and testing an online survey on the Qualtrics platform
Essential: Background or strong interest in the food sector and/or environmental impacts of our consumption patterns Excellent communication and organisational skills Good analytical skills Beneficial: Experience in literature review Experience in designing and running a survey
This placement will allow the student to develop both transferable and research-specific skills. The student will develop a broad range of research skills, including: - carrying out a systematic literature review - drafting of a summary report - designing an online survey - setting up and testing of an online survey on the Qualtrics platform The student will have the opportunity to gain a set of transferable skills such: - team-working - independent learning and working - time-management - problem solving
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Agriculture Building, Whiteknights Campus.
flexible
Monday 10 June 2024 - Friday 26 July 2024
The deadline to apply for this project is 5pm on Friday 26th April 2024. To make an application, please go to the following link and complete the application form: https://forms.office.com/e/LDxskffW5H. Please remember the title of the project (listed at the top of the page) as you will need this to locate the project on the application form.