European citizens are producing an alarming amount of food waste, with new data revealing that the EU generates nearly 60 million tonnes of food waste annually.

On average, each EU citizen is responsible for 132 kilograms of discarded food per year, according to the latest figures from Eurostat. This growing issue has prompted EU authorities to set an ambitious goal to halve food waste by 2030. Households are the largest contributors, accounting for 54% of the total food waste, while the remaining 46% comes from supply chains, including food production, retail, and distribution.

Among the 27 EU member states, Cyprus and Denmark emerge as the biggest food wasters, with Cypriots discarding an average of 294 kilograms per person annually, closely followed by Denmark with 254 kilograms. Portugal ranks third, with 185 kilograms of food waste per capita.

Authorities attribute the high numbers to several factors, including impulse buying, poor meal planning, and a lack of cooking skills. Additionally, confusion around food labels such as "best before" and "use by" contributes to unnecessary waste, as many consumers misinterpret these labels and dispose of still-edible food.

In response to the mounting food waste crisis, the EU has committed to significantly reducing per capita food waste across both retail and consumer levels by 2030.