Understanding User Perceptions of Food-Related Applications: Insights from Topic Modeling on Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

Abstract

The article analyzes food rescue application reviews from around the world. The analysis was conducted using text mining methods, including LDA, which we used to extract the main topics in user-generated discussions of the applications. It identified eight main themes in user feedback on food rescue applications: (1) Application setup, features and general user experience, (2) User satisfaction and feedback, (3) Product management and organization, (4) Convenience, ease of use and time management, (5) Recipe discovery, product utilization and meal ideas, (6) Application updates and technical support, (7) Sustainability and environmental impact, and (8) Social interaction and sharing. All of them are indirectly related to factors derived from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT). Our study aligns with a research trend concerning how digital technologies can support sustainable food consumption.