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Effect of Food Expiration-Date Education on Expired-Food Disposal Practices among Household Food Handlers in Nigeria

Abstract

Consumption or inappropriate handling of expired food products is an important food-safety concern because foods that have exceeded their recommended use or quality period may present potential risks when improperly stored, retained, or consumed. Household food handlers play an important role in maintaining food safety through appropriate checking of food dates, proper storage, timely disposal of expired products, and prevention of accidental consumption by household members. However, limited knowledge of food date labels, confusion between expiration, best-before, and other date markings, inadequate inspection of stored food products, and poor disposal practices may contribute to unsafe food handling within households. Food expiration-date education provides an opportunity to improve household food handlers' knowledge of food-date labels and promote appropriate practices for identifying, separating, and disposing of expired food products. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of food expiration-date education on expired-food disposal practices among household food handlers in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Theory of Planned Behavior. The Health Belief Model explains how household food handlers' perceptions of susceptibility to foodborne illness, perceived severity of consuming unsafe food, perceived benefits of checking food dates, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence food-safety practices. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes observational learning, behavioural modelling, self-efficacy, reinforcement, and household environmental influences in developing and maintaining appropriate food-safety behaviours. The Theory of Planned Behavior explains how food handlers' attitudes toward checking and disposing of expired food, perceived social expectations, and perceived behavioural control may influence their intentions and actual disposal practices. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how food expiration-date education may influence expired-food disposal practices among household food handlers in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise household food handlers responsible for purchasing, storing, preparing, or managing food within selected urban, semi-urban, and rural households across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, local government areas, communities, households, and eligible food handlers. Food expiration-date education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to food-date education sessions, frequency and duration of education, knowledge of food date labels, ability to identify expiration dates, understanding of best-before and use-by information where applicable, awareness of food safety risks associated with expired products, knowledge of appropriate food inspection procedures, awareness of storage conditions that affect food quality and safety, knowledge of safe disposal methods, and awareness of practices for preventing accidental consumption of expired food. Expired-food disposal practices will be assessed using indicators such as regular checking of food dates, separation of expired products from usable food, timely disposal of expired food, avoidance of consuming food solely because of its appearance or smell when date and safety information indicate otherwise, appropriate disposal of opened expired products, safe disposal of potentially hazardous food, maintaining clean food-storage areas, preventing children from accessing discarded food, and avoiding the redistribution or consumption of clearly expired food products. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, food-date knowledge assessment tools, household food-safety observation checklists, expired-food disposal practice instruments, and pre-test and post-test assessments where a quasi-experimental intervention is adopted. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' demographic and household characteristics, food purchasing and storage patterns, exposure to food-date education, and expired-food disposal practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of food expiration-date education on expired-food disposal practices. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, disposal-practice scores before and after the educational intervention may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that food expiration-date education has a significant positive effect on expired-food disposal practices among household food handlers in Nigeria. Food handlers exposed to structured and practical education are expected to demonstrate improved knowledge of food-date labels and more appropriate practices for identifying, separating, and disposing of expired food products than food handlers without comparable exposure. Education may improve participants' ability to inspect food storage areas, recognize relevant date information, avoid retaining clearly expired products, and maintain safer household food-storage practices. Practical demonstrations using common household food products and locally relevant examples may strengthen participants' ability to apply food-date knowledge in everyday situations. However, confusion surrounding different date-label terms, poor product labelling, low literacy, food wastage concerns, financial constraints, limited refrigeration, informal food markets, and the desire to avoid wasting purchased food may reduce the effectiveness of education alone. The study therefore expects continuous, practical, culturally appropriate, and accessible food expiration-date education, supported by clearer food labelling and improved household food-safety awareness, to contribute significantly to improved expired-food disposal practices among household food handlers in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on food safety, food expiration-date awareness, household food handling, foodborne illness prevention, food waste management, nutrition education, health promotion, environmental health, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, state ministries of health, environmental health authorities, primary healthcare centres, nutritionists, food-safety professionals, community health workers, household food handlers, consumer protection organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving household food safety. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for strengthening food-date education, improving consumer understanding of food labels, promoting regular household food inspections, encouraging safe disposal of expired food products, improving food-labelling standards, strengthening community food-safety education, and developing sustainable interventions to reduce risks associated with inappropriate handling of expired food products across Nigeria.

Keywords: Food expiration-date education, expired-food disposal practices, household food handlers, food safety, food-date labels, foodborne illness prevention, household food handling, consumer health, environmental health, Nigeria, public health.