-> Roughly one third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted within the Austrian food chain. Households could save up to € 300 per year. -> Reducing food waste releases finite resources, diminishes environmental risks and avoids financial losses. -> Avoidable causes include overproduction, improper packaging and storage, or misleading expiry date labelling. -> What can be done? Promising options for action include reviewing food safety regulations, facilitating direct marketing channels and simplified expiry date labelling.