Household Food Storage Practices and Their Impact on Shelf Life of Fresh Vegetables: A Case Study in Urban Developing Countries
Keywords:
Fresh vegetables, practices, shelf lifeAbstract
Background: Food spoilage due to inadequate household storage practices significantly contributes to food waste, particularly in developing countries where access to cold storage infrastructure is often limited. In urban settings, where fresh vegetables are a dietary staple, improper storage exacerbates food loss, impacting household budgets and food security.
Objective: This study investigates the impact of household storage methods on the shelf life and quality of fresh vegetables, specifically tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers and identifies practical interventions to reduce food waste.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 120 urban households using structured questionnaires to assess storage practices and food waste patterns, complemented by controlled storage experiments. Vegetables were stored under three conditions: room temperature (25-30°C), refrigeration (4-6°C) and refrigeration with sealed containers. Shelf life was measured as the number of days until visual spoilage, characterized by changes in color, odor, or texture. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA with a significance level of p<0.05.
Results: The results showed that refrigeration extended vegetable shelf life by 4-6 days compared to room temperature storage, with sealed containers further reducing spoilage rates by 10-15%. Households aware of optimal storage practices reported 35% less food waste than those using traditional methods. Tomatoes, spinach and cucumbers stored in sealed refrigerated containers exhibited the longest shelf life, lasting 9, 6 and 10 days, respectively.
Conclusion: The study concludes that improved household storage practices, such as refrigeration and the use of sealed containers, significantly reduce food waste. Awareness campaigns combined with low-cost storage solutions can enhance food security and sustainability in urban developing countries.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Farhana Akter, Rakibul Islam, Nusrat Jahan
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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
