Food practices and quality labels in European households (Gallery)

Organised by G. Roos, B. Tocco and C. Abundancia. In cooperation with B. Biasini, J. Filipović, K. Meyer, Á. Török, P. Wavresky.

This online photo gallery showcases 40 European households’ practices around food consumption and quality labels, based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 7 countries as part of the EU H2020 Strength2Food project. The photographs, taken by households’ family members and researchers, capture moments of everyday practices regarding food (planning, shopping, cooking, eating and disposal), and how EU/ national/ other food quality labels (e.g. country of origin, quality assurance, environmental and ethical labels) feature in their habits.

We would like to thank all the participating households and partners (INRA-D, UBO, ECO-SEN, UNIPR, HiOA, BEL, UNEW) involved in the ethnographic fieldwork and final report.

Seasonal berries for dessert.

Indian food was cooked for dinner at the weekend.

Using organic fresh ingredients for cooking Indian food.

The household contemplating whether to buy organic white potatoes at the supermarket. As their look wasn’t convincing they didn’t buy them.

The kids help preparing breakfast on a Sunday morning: toasted bagels, butter and eggs.

How to harvest, cure and store onions - the importance of not wasting food.

Weekly meal planner for the household.

Typical Serbian farmers’ market.

Kitchen equipment - this large casserole is perfect for enjoying dishes with friends and gathering around a 5 kg of meat!

Children cooking pasta.

Buying smoked mackerel is a typical practice for this household - the Scottish origin flag is what influenced their purchasing decision, despite different types of quality labels on the packaging.

Typical breakfast: whole-grain chocolate cake.

A typical lunch for kids: pasta.

Home-made bread using organic flour.

Cooking pot.

Reflecting on the chocolate packaging and its authentic dimension: "My appearance, my taste and my weight can vary. Like you I am not perfect, like you I am unique".

Typical breakfast consisting of fresh seasonal fruit salad with linseeds and yoghurt.

Eating fresh soup every day is a tradition for this household – it’s good for your health and is tasty!

Buying organic Demeter potatoes from the farm shop.

Preparing a family meal.

A typical salad on the dinner table.

Lasagna for dinner with the family.

Buying vegetables at the farmers’ market.

School meals weekly planner for the kid.

Frying fresh mackerel is a typical summer tradition in Norway!

Using own compost in the garden - peelings and egg shells.

Typical dinner for the parents: halloumi, cabbage, potatoes and pomegranate sauce.

Making summer rolls.

Buying stone-ground wheat from an ethical purchasing group (GAS).

Lunch box with prepared food

Grilling meat while gathering with family and friends is a typical summer tradition.

Slicing machine for cured meat and salami for home use.

The household is enrolled in ‘Hello Fresh’ – a recipe food box delivery service, to cook quick, easy, healthy and tasty meals, using pre-portioned fresh seasonal ingredients.

Sharing dinner with the Senegalese household – a unique dish with red and white meat, eggs, cereals, vegetables and peanut butter.

Grocery list on the fridge: adding items throughout the week.

Buying unpacked local cheese at the market.

The table is set for dinner – soup is ready.

Buying halal meat.

Home-made fish nuggets are a typical meal for the whole household.

Mom’s famous home-made bread.

Typical weekend lunch: mushroom risotto.

Salad is commonly served at lunch and dinner time.

Keeping all food leftovers for a later use.

High quality chicken bought at a Slow Food Market.

View from a street market on holiday in Austria.

Kitchen cabinet with utensils.

Garden BBQ, with fire grilled sausages and corn on the cob, is a summer tradition with the kids.

British free-range eggs found in the household cupboard. No specific knowledge of the British Lion mark.

Organic wine.

Vegetable garden, with herbs and flowers.

Organic red kidney beans found in the household cupboard. The retailer own branding of organic tends to be more visible than actual organic certifications.

Recycling biodegradable food waste in the designated green bags.

Preparing home-made pumpkin ravioli with mushroom sauce with the neighbour.

Preparing a typical dinner and eating with the family: lemon-oregano chicken with veggies.

Finishing a chicken and rice family dinner.

Preparing soup for dinner.

Pancake party – cooking with kids and sharing food as part of the family gathering.

Handwritten food recipes - the preservation of culinary heritage.

Food shopping – fruits, vegetables and bread without plastic bags.

Visiting a local food festival.

Cacao - organic and fair trade.

PGI melon enjoyed by the family.

Organic food.

Shopping big quantities of local dairy products in a farm shop.

A typical weekday breakfast.

Corn cakes labelled free from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, GMO and cholesterol

Typical Serbian sweets – home-made jam and stewed fruit, prepared in autumn.

Organic beetroot juice for the kids.

Buying Serbian specialities – prosciutto and ’Sljivovica’ plums brandy.

Making your home-made jam is a fun way to spend some quality time with the kids at the weekend.

Preparing dinner with organic products.

Planning a traditional British Sunday lunch to enjoy with the family: joint of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding and roast potatoes.

Vegetables for cooking.

Hungarian butter to support domestic producers.

Quality apples picked from grandparents’ garden.

Halal sausage.

Chickpeas from integrated agriculture bought in the supermarket.

A mother is sharpening her knife before cooking sausages, mashed potatoes and kraut.

Recycling a baby food glass container with the kid.

A great way for recycling glass jars is washing them and reusing them for storing home-made jam, chutney and pickles.

British pork sausages with Red Tractor Label purchased at supermarket. The household became more aware of the logo on British food products.

Organic mozzarella on special offer due to expiry date. A perfect purchase to help reduce food waste!

Cooking chicken breast in the oven using thermometer.

Buying organic fruits and vegetables from the farm shop.

Chickens for personal consumption of eggs and meat - in a rural household.

Washing lettuce picked from the garden.

All green waste is used for garden compost.

Growing tomatoes in the backyard.

Buying cheese from the farm shop.

Summer breakfast in the garden with family visiting.

Lunch is finished.

Making strawberry jam.

Keeping some laying hens in the back garden means we can enjoy some wonderful fresh organic eggs.

Cooking food for several days – stored in fridge.

Foraging for blackberries is an enjoyable way to spend a sunny afternoon with the husband. A delicious treat and perfect for making jam.

No leftovers – with 2 little children it is almost a miracle!

Cooking egg custard from scratch with vanilla beans.

Gluten-free quinoa spaghetti is a typically consumed product for this household.

The principles of permaculture - one of the various articles consulted by the household.

Vegetables purchased in reusable paper bags to minimise the environmental impact.

Fair trade coffee from a small trustworthy association.

Shopping with vouchers to save money.

A modern Internet recipe book for practicality.

A modern kitchen – in an urban household.

Noticing the Red Tractor (UK’s leading farm and quality assurance scheme) marketing campaign at the supermarket.

Food storage – pasta, cookies and other food packages.

A good kitchen space and proper equipment are essential for cooking.

Shopping at the market and reuse of plastic bags.

Orange juice with superior quality brand.

Packed lunch boxes ready for kindergarten, with sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit and waffles

Living by the coast means the household can visit the local fishmonger for some fresh fish.

Eating a mixed salad for dinner with the family.

Lunch avocado salad

Coffee maker.

Beautiful food in beautiful dishes - food is a culinary art!

Shopping cart and shopping list.

A typical packed lunch for the adults of the family: sandwiches, salad and carrot sticks.

Typical pastry (projara) served for breakfast or dinner.

Shopping list App used by the household.

A typical healthy snack for the little girls: black cabbage cooked in the microwave.

Ploughman’s lunch with fresh fruit and vegetables, fine quality British cheeses and home-made chutneys.

Organic spelt flour, a great ancestor of modern wheat, displayed with pride.

Only the onions are organic, in this case purchased in the absence of other conventional onions.

A typical meal for the family: mackerel in tomato sauce with bread.

The kids are eating dinner: spaghetti, sausages and ketchup is their favourite!

A typical weekday breakfast - salami and cheese.

Growing vegetables and herbs in home garden - in a rural household.

Food shopping by car.

A full fridge for the household.

Making salad – taste is more important than appearance!

Lunch at workplace canteen.

Organic imported tea.

This authentic PDO Grana Padano cheese is good value for money!

Cooking a pasta meal with vegetables from the market.

Family breakfast – a plate with toast and salami

Fajitas evening with guests.

Buying grated carrots, and other ready-to-eat vegetables, is more convenient and can save time – especially when the mother comes home late from work.

Organic healthy food is particularly important for our children.

A favourite recipe by the household.

Home-made preserves from fresh blackberries and tomatoes picked from own garden.

Organic and palm-oil free are important attributes for this household.

Family shopping list.

A typical weekend breakfast.

Pear tree from the garden -growing fruits and vegetables in the home garden is a common practice for many suburban households.

Vegetables and chicken - a typical dish in urban areas.

Typical lunch or dinner: White meat such as chicken

Keeping old bread to feed the two backyard chickens.

Fresh eggs from the backyard chickens and disposing food scraps to feed the chicken - a great example of circular economy.

Storing unused vegetables in the fridge.

Dinner leftovers – pasta and vegetable sauce.

Typical shopping at the discount store.

AMAP (similar to Community Supported Agriculture) vegetable baskets.

Shamallow party – food for sharing and festivity.

Typical weekday dinner for the family and their kids: some rice, mackerel, tomatoes and ready-made meatballs with onions.

Typical stew with vegetables and meat, commonly served for lunch.

The weekend breakfast table is set.

Food shopping – dairy products, fruits and vegetables.

Vacuum sealing corn to store in the freezer.

Family gathering for breakfast.

Serbian specialities – Rakija and mushrooms.

Favourite sauce for the family.

Gluten-free bean pasta is a typically consumed product for this vegan household. The nutritional content of high-protein and low carb is a key factor, but organic and non-GMO attributes are also important.

Recycling food waste.

Local pork sausages bought from the farmers’ market.

Recipe book for the Bimby cooking robot, frequently used by the household.

Grocery bags in the car.

Food shopping.

Shopping at local market butcher.

Getting dinner ready: mixing noodles in the pot.

Purchasing some local and artisan cheeses at the local market.

Preparing a vegetarian Bolognese for dinner.

Organic food.

Organic rusk with numerous free-from labels: no sugar, no added salt, no palm oil.

Cooking fresh chard and filet mignon from AMAP (similar to Community Supported Agriculture).

Organic cream with four different organic certification schemes!

A typical family dinner: pasta, minced beef and organic tomato sauce.

In season fruit shopping at wholesale market.

Fresh, local and organic beverages from the fridge: organic apple juice from a nearby community garden and freshly produced milk delivered to the doorstep by a local farm.

Purchasing big quantities of yogurt in a discount store.

Typical food shopping at the supermarket.

Snack time for children – yoghurt and juice.

PDO Beacon fell traditional Lancashire cheese is a treat for the household and perfect for salad. However, particular attention goes on checking nutrition labels.

Paying attention to discounts and price reductions when shopping.

Sesame paste - organic, gluten-free and other labels.

Checkout in discount store.

Making sourdough bread at the weekend has become a family tradition.

Organic and fair trade food products in the kitchen

Preparing home-made waffles.

Cooking together: aubergines with cheese and home-made pesto sauce, pasta with tomatoes and bacon.

Home-made lasagna and salad for dinner.

A typical weekend breakfast with pancakes, fruits and berries.

Buying organic potatoes in a paper bag - example of responsible consumption.

Ice cream and toy.

Selecting fresh produce from the local greengrocer.

Breakfast table – cheese, jam, butter and cut up fresh fruit

Organic food.

Baking bread with organic wholegrain spelt flour and caraway seeds is a family tradition.

Preparing traditional family meals: veggie potato and aubergine curry.

English whole milk from the household fridge – various quality logos on the packaging but not so relevant for purchasing decisions.

Lacto-ovo vegetarian family’s starter: melon and apple juice.

Food storage – tea and spices.

Storing home-grown vegetables for later consumption.

Buying organic food at the supermarket.

Checking information about organic products.

Family fridge.

Senegalese couscous typically used by the household.

Serbian tea.

Cooking a gratin with home-grown courgettes.

Buying organic food products at the supermarket.

A typical weekend breakfast– rolls with cheese and ham.

Shopping basket with common food products.

Typical dinner: rice and lentil curry.

The convenience of online grocery shopping has become a typical practice for the household, to save time and reduce food waste.

Typical meal with cheese, pastry, ajvar, meat and salad.

This electric whisk is a kitchen essential for this household to meet every dessert baking need.

The labels on the bread and cheese indicate that they are produced in Serbia

"A day without soup is a sad day" - Cooking vegetable soup for family lunch.

A traditional and fun dinner for the little boy: frankfurter and bacon.

Full fridge after big shopping.

Home-made pizza roll for the family.

Organic spelt pasta from the cupboard.

A typical dish for the household - whole baked fish with fresh tomatoes and lemons.