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Completed

NCT Number: NCT05061888

Free Living Food Waste Management and Diet Quality Improvement Using Smart Intervention and Food Image Application

The primary aim of this study is to reduce household food waste and improve individual nutrition. This will be achieved using the FoodImageTM smartphone app 1, a novel method for measuring household food acquisition, food intake, and food waste decisions, to assess the efficacy of a smart intervention that targets food waste reduction and diet quality improvement. The intervention is designed to improve nutrition by offsetting intake of less nutritious foods with increased fresh fruit and vegetable (FV) intake while simultaneously reducing household food waste via strategies tailored to participating households.

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Key information

Conditions

Diet, Healthy

Age range

18 year–62 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70806, United States

About this study

Data collected will be used to:

  • Test the effects of free FV provision on: (a) household food waste levels, (b) total FV acquisition (free FV provision plus purchases post-intervention vs. pre-intervention FV purchases), and (c) the consumption of FV (Food Patterns Equivalents Database, FPED). We hypothesize that free FV provision will increase food waste, total FV acquisition, and diet quality (increase the Healthy Eating Index [HEI]). We will test these hypotheses by comparing baseline and follow-up data from participants randomly assigned to the control condition, which features free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Exploratory analyses will examine the effects on dietary energy intake and if the freely provided FV replace non-FV foods in the baseline diet.
  • Test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces post-intervention food waste compared to the control group while increasing FV acquisition and consumption compared to pre-intervention baseline. We hypothesize that this smart intervention will increase total FV acquisition and FV consumption compared to baseline, and these increases are not expected to differ significantly from control. It is further hypothesized that those receiving the smart intervention will significantly reduce food waste compared to controls. Exploratory analyses will examine the extent to which the smart intervention had the intended effect of replacing less healthy foods with FV consumption.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Male or female, age 18-62 years
  • Body mass index (BMI) 18.5 - 50 kg/m2, based on self-reported height and weight
  • Ownership of an iPhone, which the participant is willing to use for the study
  • Access to Apple ID, password, and email address and willing to use them in the course of the study
  • Performs a majority of household food shopping and preparation
  • If children are present in household, all children are between 6-18 years
  • Able to meet the schedule demands for the study

Exclusion criteria

  • Not able to use an iPhone
  • Refusal or unable to use the smartphone app to collect data in free-living conditions
  • Households that purchase groceries less than 1 time per week
  • More than 2 children living in the household
  • Pennington Biomedical Research Center employee
  • Unwilling to sign consent to use web screener questions for data set and analysis.

Treatment and study plan

Smart Intervention for Food Waste Management and Replacing current diet with Fruits and Vegetables

Other

Will receive a Smart Intervention on Food Waste Management and replacing less healthy foods with fruits and vegetables.

Other names: Treatment Group

Smart Intervention for Stress Management

Other

Will receive a Smart Intervention on stress management practices and strategies.

Other names: Control Group

Primary outcomes

  1. The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Intake.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if levels of household FV intake change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV intake will be measured with the FoodImage app. FV intake will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV eaten per day, with FV servings defined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED).

  2. The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Grams.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if levels of household food waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day.

  3. The Impact of Free FV Provision on Levels of Household Food Waste, Measured in Calories.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if levels of household food waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total calories of food waste per day.

  4. Change in Fruit and Vegetable Intake With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Fruit and vegetable intake was assessed at baseline and post-intervention using data collected via the FoodImage app for three consecutive days prior to the first free fruit and vegetable pickup and three days following the final pickup. Intake was calculated in servings/day. Change is calculated as post-intervention value minus pre-intervention value, where positive values indicate an increase in intake and negative values indicate a decrease.

  5. Change in Diet Quality (Healthy Eating Index) With Smart Intervention Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    Diet quality will be assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2020 (HEI-2020), a validated tool that measures adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better diet quality. The total HEI score is calculated based on intake data collected via the FoodImage app over a 3-day period before and after the 4-week Smart intervention. The intervention includes the free provision of fruits and vegetables (FV) and aims to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV.

  6. Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Plate Waste Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if levels of FV plate waste change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV plate waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. FV plate waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day.

  7. Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Grams, Compared to a Control Intervention.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces food waste over 4 weeks compared to a control (stress management) intervention. Both interventions include FV provision. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total grams of food waste per day.

  8. Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Reduces Household Level Food Waste, Measured in Calories, Compared to a Control Intervention.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly reduces food waste over 4 weeks compared to a control (stress management) intervention. Both interventions include FV provision. Food waste will be measured with the FoodImage app. Food waste will be quantified as total calories of food waste.

  9. The Impact of Free FV Provision on Household FV Acquisition.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if levels of household FV acquisition change significantly over 4 weeks among participants randomized to the control condition, which includes free FV provision and a placebo (stress management) intervention not focused on food waste. FV acquisition will be measured with the Foodlmage app. FV acquisition will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV acquired by the household, with FV servings defined by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED).

  10. Determine if a Smart Intervention to Reduce Food Waste and Replace Less Healthy Foods With FV Significantly Increases FV Acquisition Compared to Pre-intervention Baseline.

    Time frame: 4 weeks

    We will test if a smart intervention to reduce food waste and replace less healthy foods with FV significantly increases FV acquisition over 4 weeks. The intervention includes free provision of FV. FV acquisition will be measured with the Foodlmage app. FV acquisition will be quantified as the total number of servings of FV acquired by the household, with FV servings defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Other

Collaborators

  • Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans
  • Ohio State University

Registry information

Official study title

Using the FoodImageTM App to Assess Smart Interventions Designed to Improve Nutrition & Reduce Food Waste

Acronym: FoodImage2

Important dates

Study start
2021
Primary completion
2022
Study completion
2025
First posted
Sep 30, 2021
Registry last updated
May 12, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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