The FOCAS project (Food, Convenience and Sustainability) examines the contested category of ‘convenience’ food through four European case studies of processed baby-food, supermarket ready-meals, work-place (canteen) food and food-box schemes.

The project is funded by the ERA-Net SUSFOOD programme (2014-17) which aims to enhance collaboration and coordination between research programmes on sustainable food production and consumption.

Based on comparative research in Denmark, Germany, Sweden and the UK, the FOCAS project examines the increasing consumption of various types of ‘convenience’ food across Europe and its significance for public health and environmental sustainability.

Informed by a ‘theories of practice’ approach, our four work-packages employ a common conceptual vocabulary of practices, meanings, social embeddedness and do-ability.