{
  "abstract": "IntroductionReducing food waste in the retail sector is crucial for food security, yet traditional retail vulnerabilities are often overlooked. This study aimed to characterize marketing dynamics, the frequency of suboptimal produce, and waste management practices in fruit and vegetable retail outlets to identify the primary causes of food waste and propose targeted strategic interventions.MethodsUsing an observational cross-sectional design, a convenience sample (n = 180) across four Mexican states was stratified into four commercial profiles: municipal markets, produce stores, grocery stores, and open-air markets. Statistical analyses included Pearson's Chi-square tests (χ2), K-means cluster analysis and Multiple Correspondence Analysis.ResultsSelf-reported responses associated food waste with infrastructural and supply-chain constraints at the point of sale. The reported analysis did not detect a statistically significant association between marketing cluster membership and self-reported weekly waste in this sample. The Multiple Correspondence Analysis identified exploratory associations among retail format, sampled location, deterioration susceptibility, and reported utilization practices (e.g., household consumption, animal feed, or landfill disposal). These findings identify format- and context-specific interventions for future evaluation; such as adequate roofs/awnings for open-air markets or staff training and adequate display furniture for grocery stores, and campaigns promoting consumer acceptance of suboptimal produce.DiscussionFuture research should expand the sampling frame to other Mexican states to enable a broader cross-regional assessment. Overall, this study addresses retail fruit and vegetable waste through a multidimensional approach integrating marketing dynamics, suboptimal produce, and unsold inventory management across traditional commercial profiles.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Campo Experimental Zacatecas, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Calera de Víctor Rosales, Mexico",
    "Campo Experimental Pabellón, Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Pabellón de Arteaga, Mexico",
    "Departamento de Contabilidad, Facultad Interdisciplinaria de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico",
    "Unidad Regional Universitaria de Zonas Áridas, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Bermejillo, Mexico",
    "Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo AC, Instituto de Estudios Universitarios, Universidad de Sonora, Hermosillo, Mexico"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Blanca Isabel Sánchez-Toledano"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jorge A. Zegbe-Domínguez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Dena María Jesús Camarena-Gómez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Rafael García-Vázquez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Ana Cristina Pacheco-Navarro"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e900knxb4a9rw.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fsufs.2026.1971858",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1971858/full",
  "id": "e900knxb4a9rw",
  "issns": [
    "2571-581X"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1971858",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "TP368-456"
    ],
    [
      "lcc",
      "TX341-641"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1106|Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223554789",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1971858/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-25",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media S.A.",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e900knxb4a9rw.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T13:46:52Z",
      "native_id": "18b6fa8efe6a4ec2810381792d379b57",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2026.1971858"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "journal-openalex:F11",
      "subfield": "general"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "lcc:TX341-641",
      "subfield": "nutrition"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Structural and operational barriers to food waste mitigation across traditional fruit and vegetable retail profiles in Mexico",
  "title_text": "Structural and operational barriers to food waste mitigation across traditional fruit and vegetable retail profiles in Mexico",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-31T14:20:56Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e900knxb4a9rw",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems",
  "versions": []
}