Food Inflation and Consumer Adaptation Strategies in Poland: Food Waste Reduction and Potential Implications for Diet Quality

Food price inflation provides an important economic context for consumer behaviour related to food; however, its impact on sustainable and responsible food consumption remains understudied. This cross-sectional study analyzed self-reported changes in food-related behaviour among Polish consumers during a period of strong upward pressure on food prices and identified demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with the intensity of these changes. In June 2023, a CAWI survey was conducted among a quota sample of 1000 adults in Poland, representative in terms of age and gender. To assess changes in the analyzed areas of food-related behaviours (food procurement, shopping planning, meal preparation, use of food service establishments, consumption of selected food products, and food waste), the Friedman test and the Wilcoxon test with Holm correction were used. To examine the relationship between the reported changes and the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, a synthetic change-intensity index was constructed based on 52 items covering the six behavioural domains. The significance of the relationship was tested using Pearson’s chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression. Respondents reported changes in all areas analyzed. A decline in the consumption of selected food groups was observed, including fresh fruits and vegetables and fish, with the largest decline in consumption noted for alcoholic beverages. The extent of these changes varied significantly according to characteristics such as age, place of residence, employment status, source of income, and income level. The results indicate that high food price pressures were accompanied by multidimensional changes in consumer food-related behaviours, including more frugal management of food resources and reduced consumption of certain food products. These results underscore the importance of maintaining economic access to nutritionally dense foods, particularly among economically vulnerable households.