Grantee Research Project Results
2023 Progress Report: Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization (CHEF-WPM)
EPA Grant Number: R840534Title: Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization (CHEF-WPM)
Investigators: Deutsch, Jonathan , Milliron, Brandy-Joe
Institution: Drexel Univeristy
EPA Project Officer: Hoysala, Sneha
Project Period: April 1, 2023 through May 13, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: April 1, 2023 through March 31,2024
Project Amount: $739,381
RFA: Research to Reduce Consumer Food Waste in the United States Request for Applications (RFA) (2022) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Endocrine Disruptors , Food Waste
Objective:
The objectives of this proposed research are to (1) develop and evaluate a series of food waste prevention and minimization culinary education videos for home cooks, adapted from professional culinary training, called Culinary Home Empowerment for Food Waste Prevention and Minimization (CHEF-WPM), (2) assess a series of informal and formal online interventions to determine the efficacy of each component of CHEF-WPM across a diverse range of U.S. consumers, and (3) recommend effective ways to nationally scale effective elements of CHEF-WPM. The hypotheses being tested are (1) adapting and delivering selected elements of professional culinary training for home cooks is effective at reducing household food waste and strengthening consumers' motivation, opportunity and ability to reduce food waste, and (2) distributing selected elements of professional culinary training in small modules for home cooks and making the content available in structured community-based classes is desired by consumers.
Progress Summary:
Over the course of year 1, we completed content filming, downloadable recipes and worksheets, survey and mixed method assessment outlines (Objective 1). We acquired the host website and convened our advisory board to review lesson plans and videos. We submitted all materials to our IRB.
Future Activities:
In the next year, we will recruit and implement the interventions. We will survey (n=500) participants for our population study and (n=60) for our community culinary training. We will begin data analysis upon completion of our 6 month follow up surveys.
Supplemental Keywords:
Food Waste, Sustainable development, waste minimization, pedagogy, kitchen literacy, human health, public health, diet, community-based, analysis, observation, survey, preferences, public good, and culinaryProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.