ENHANCING CONSUMER EDUCATION ON PORTION AND SERVING INFORMATION

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

• Clearer packaging labels like portion sizes, “best before” dates and storage guidance can help households reduce food waste at home.
• Simple, easy-to-understand packaging (using short text, colour, symbols and practical tips like leftover recipes) empowers consumers to make better food use decisions.
• Bridging the gap between what consumers expect and what industry can deliver is key to designing packaging that reduces waste and supports everyday behaviour change.

Consumers often face confusion when interpreting food packaging, particularly the difference between portion size and serving size. This misunderstanding can influence both healthy eating decisions and household food waste, leading to over-purchasing, overconsumption and avoidable waste.

How well do consumers understand portion size and serving size guidance?​

​The project explored how consumers read and respond to packaging information in real-world shopping contexts. Using consumer research methods, the team examined perceptions of portion and serving guidance and how these influence food choices. The work brought together insights from behavioural research and industry practice to better understand communication gaps on pack.​

​The findings showed that consumers frequently conflate portion size with serving size, limiting their ability to make informed decisions. Recognition that both types of information are needed and should be clearly distinguished: portion size to support healthier eating and serving size to help households understand how much food a product will provide. The research also highlighted the need to better align consumer expectations with industry practice and to improve education on how to use packaging information effectively.​

What do these findings on portion and serving sizes mean for food labelling and consumer education?

​These insights point to opportunities for broader system change, including reform of labelling practices, industry education, and targeted consumer behaviour campaigns. They also highlight the need for more open-access evidence on how people actually use food packaging at home to inform better design and policy. The National Date Labelling and Storage Advice project (Phase 1) builds on this evidence to develop clearer, more standardised guidance that helps consumers make confident, waste-reducing decisions at home. ​