On World Food Day, Bulgarian Food Bank (BFB) Executive Director Tsanka Milanova said that every Bulgarian throws away an average of 96 kg of food per year, with the country generating a total of 617,000 tonnes of food waste, according to the latest data, covering 2023, submitted by Bulgaria.
Households account for 43% of food waste in Bulgaria, followed by processing and manufacturing (25%), restaurants and food services, retail and other distribution of food (22%), and primary production (10%).
Milanova cited the latest Eurostat data, which show that 57.9 million tonnes of food waste were generated across the EU in 2024, equivalent to an average of around 129 kg per person. She noted that the figure had changed little compared with the previous year.
“On World Food Day, we are talking about one of the paradoxes of our time: millions of tonnes of food are thrown away while many people cannot afford to eat adequately,” Milanova said.
She added that the topic is particularly relevant in light of the EU Waste Framework Directive, which sets a target of reducing food waste by 2030 by 10% in food manufacturing and processing and by 30% in retail, restaurants, food services and households.
In 2025, the Bulgarian Food Bank rescued 486,110 kg of food worth more than EUR 2 million from going to waste. The food was distributed to 87,941 people in need across the country through partnerships with 325 organizations and social services in Bulgaria.
In the first nine months of 2026 alone, the organization rescued 468,238 kg of food worth EUR 1,976,263, providing support to 66,039 people, Milanova said. The weight of food rescued increased by more than 28% compared with the same period last year, she added.
Hristina Nikolova, Head of Quantitative Research at Ipsos Bulgaria, presented the findings of a nationally representative poll on food waste in Bulgaria. The study was commissioned by Fantastico Group, with the support of the Bulgarian Food Bank, and conducted by an independent market research agency.
The survey covered 1,000 respondents aged 18-65 through online and face-to-face interviews conducted between September 21 and October 2, 2026.
The study sheds new light on how food waste occurs by examining the entire journey of food, from planning and shopping to storage, preparation and consumption. The findings show that waste often results from a series of small, everyday actions, and understanding these patterns is key to finding effective solutions, Nikolova said.
According to the poll, 51% of Bulgarian households had thrown away food in the previous 30 days, while 25% did so at least once a week. At the same time, 63% of respondents said they were actively trying to reduce the amount of food they wasted.
The survey found that food spoilage accounted for 49% of reported instances of food waste. In 33% of cases, food was discarded because too much had been prepared, while 30% of respondents said food had not been consumed in time and 26% said it had been forgotten.
The findings also revealed widespread confusion over the difference between “best before” and “use by” labels. Some 38% of respondents believed that a product should not be consumed after its “best before” date, while only 36% understood that food can often remain safe to eat beyond that date, even if its quality may have deteriorated.
The third edition of the Not for Throwing Away information campaign was also launched on Friday by the Bulgarian Food Bank in partnership with Fantastico.
“Our goal is not simply to talk about the problem, but to show that solutions exist and that everyone can contribute by planning more carefully, making full use of the food they buy and becoming part of the change,” Milanova said.
“Responsible consumption and reducing food waste are priorities in our day-to-day operations. We pursue these goals through consistent inventory management policies, investments in systems for monitoring and analyzing sales, and our commitment to donating food to vulnerable groups in society,” Fantastico Group Executive Director Svetoslav Gavrilov said.
“Our efforts to reduce food waste also include the development of a modern logistics centre, which helps prevent excess stock from accumulating in supermarkets, as well as strict monitoring of expiry dates and timely action when necessary, including price reductions,” he added.
The next stage of cooperation between the Bulgarian Food Bank and Fantastico will be the retailer’s annual Kilogram of Kindness initiative, which collects long-lasting food products for people in need.
The campaign will take place on November 28 and 29 at 10 Fantastico supermarkets. Customers will be able to donate a product of their choice, and at the end of the initiative, the Bulgarian supermarket chain will donate 10 tonnes of food to support the work of the Bulgarian Food Bank.
Bulgarians Waste 96 Kg of Food Per Person Annually, Data Show THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-16 14:08:50
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