Israeli households expected to chuck NIS 600 worth of food during holidays — study

The average Israeli family is expected to waste NIS 600 ($160) worth of food during upcoming holiday season, according to new data from Leket Israel- The National Food Bank and the BDO consulting firm.

The study projects that food sales during the month of the High Holy Days will reach NIS 8.9 billion ($2.4 billion). Of this, food worth approximately NIS 1.4 billion ($380 million), equivalent to 260,000 tons, is expected to go to waste.

The average Israeli household is expected to spend NIS 3,900 ($1,050) on food during the High Holidays, an increase of 20% compared to 2022. More than a third of the NIS 600 ($160) expected to be thrown away will come from fruit and vegetables. The average includes non-Jewish families.

Food waste is one of the key factors driving the cost of living, Leket says. Beyond the direct expense of food that is purchased but not consumed, additional waste occurs at earlier stages of the value chain, in the farms, the processing stage, packaging, transportation, and marketing, driving the cost of food up.

“Over the past year, food prices have risen by 5%, while inflation has further exacerbated the issue,” Leket says in a statement. “Food waste contributes an additional NIS 10,200 ($2,750) per household annually to the cost of living, of which about NIS 3,700 ($1,000) is attributable to losses in agriculture, distribution, and industry.”