Emergency Food Preparedness: A Case Study of Slovenian Households

Emergency situations can cause sudden food shortages, which emphasize the need for preventive measures to ensure food security. The aim of this study was to determine the Slovenian population’s awareness of the official national recommendation for a 30-day emergency food supply, assess the adequacy of households’ food supplies, and identify factors influencing their quantity. An online survey was conducted among 815 Slovenian residents aged 18 to 89. The results showed that 81.0% were not aware of the national recommendations. Of the recommended foods, sugar, salt, cooking oil, jam, and pickled beet were most frequently stored, while rusks, water, canned meat sauces, bars, and dried yeast were least frequently stored. Only 17.0% of respondents had a sufficient supply of food to sustain their household members for a month or more, and only 19.1% had a supply of beverages for three days or more. Factors influencing the quantity of food supply included self-sufficiency assessment, knowledge of national recommendations, type of residence, region, household size, and number of children. This case study can serve more broadly as a basis for designing strategies to raise public awareness of the importance of emergency food supplies in improving food security during times of crisis.