Meal Kits and Food Safety Unboxed: Understanding Consumer Perceptions and Stakeholder Roles

Meal kits are boxes of fresh and shelf-stable foods, delivered directly to homes with ice packs, ready for home storage and recipe cards for meal preparation. Limited UK research has been undertaken to understand consumer use of meal kits, and studies have yet to explore consumers’ experiences with meal kits at home. This study aimed to establish UK-based meal kit consumers’ experiences of meal kit use and associated food safety perceptions, attitudes, and self-reported practices. Additionally, the study explored stakeholders’ roles within the meal kit industry. Interviews were conducted with meal kit consumers (n=27) and meal kit stakeholders (n=6). Thematic analysis was utilised to identify key themes. Stakeholders had various roles within the industry, while discussions focused on risk mitigation through cold chain temperature control and validating systems. Consumers indicated a favourable opinion of the delivered foods and cooling materials, with most consumers following some recommended food safety practice during meal kit handling and recipe preparation. While there were positive perceptions concerning inclusion of food safety guidance directly on recipe cards, consumers did not necessarily believe this would impact behavior. Further research is required to explore how food safety guidance on recipe cards impacts observed behaviour during meal kit preparation.