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Food loss and food waste occur along the food supply chain, negatively impacting the environment, global economy, and food security. There is a growing global interest in tackling this issue to mitigate or handle the waste generated and limit its repercussions, as one in eight people suffer from undernourishment worldwide. In the Arab world, where there is a high dependency on imports and limited potential of increasing local food production, addressing food loss and waste becomes substantial. Research has mainly been focused on household food waste generation, while data on post-consumer plate food waste in the foodservice sector remains scarce. In this study, managers from a representative sample of 222 restaurants located in Municipal Beirut, Lebanon, were surveyed about food waste generation. Plate food waste was measured to establish baseline information. Multiple Tobit regression analyses were performed to explore the determinants for plate food waste generation. Plate waste generation was also compared between Lebanese and non-Lebanese cuisine restaurants. Results revealed that 1,620 tons of plate food waste are generated per year in Beirut, equivalent to 0.15% of Lebanon's total organic waste. Furthermore, Lebanese cuisine restaurants serving Mediterranean Mezze were found to generate 34 kg of organic waste per day more than restaurants that serve international non-Lebanese cuisine. The type of cuisine, kind of service, and menu planning were significantly associated with post-consumer food waste generation. This study revealed an increasing concern towards the amount of plate waste generated in Beirut, and thereby further research is needed to create baseline information at the national level., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Food waste has a great impact on food and nutrition security, the environment, and global, regional as well as national economies. However, little is known about the associated nutrient loss embedded in wasted foods, especially in developing countries, with Lebanon being a case in point. The present paper uses data gathered from a survey of 250 households conducted in Beirut, Lebanon, in which respondents filled 7-day food waste diaries in order to investigate the drivers of food waste generation at the household level and its dietary content. The results show that food waste is approximately 0.2 kg per capita per day in urban Lebanon. This wasted food contains on average 451.2 kcal, 37.5 g carbohydrates, 14.9 g protein, 2.9 g dietary fiber, 2.4 μg vitamin D, 165.2 mg calcium and 343.2 mg potassium. Furthermore, a Tobit analysis of the socio-demographic and behavioral drivers of food waste generation was conducted. This analysis shows that being the sole homeowner, spending more on food, having a larger number of household members, being ready to eat everything prepared, and tending not to buy special offers, significantly increases household food waste generation, at least in terms of physical weight. This is the first study conducted in Lebanon and the Middle East aiming at investigating food waste, and the associated nutrient loss as well as the drivers of food waste generation at the household level. This work could help provide evidence for policymakers to address both food and nutrition security issues in Lebanon., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Food is generally wasted all along the supply chain, with an estimated loss of 35percent generated at the consumer level. Consequently, household food waste constitutes a sizable proportion of the total waste generated throughout the food supply chain. Yet such wastes vary drastically between developed and developing countries. Using data collected from 44 countries with various income levels, this paper investigates the impact of legislation and economic incentives on household food waste generation. The obtained results indicate that well-defined regulations, policies and strategies are more effective than fiscal measures in mitigating household food waste generation., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)