{"id":2525,"date":"2023-07-02T10:15:51","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T10:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kangaroovalley.nsw.au\/valleyvoice\/?p=2525"},"modified":"2023-07-02T10:15:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-02T10:15:51","slug":"reduce-food-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kangaroovalley.nsw.au\/valleyvoice\/2023\/07\/02\/reduce-food-waste\/","title":{"rendered":"Reduce food waste"},"content":{"rendered":"

My interest in sustainable food began over 50 years ago, after I first read Frances Moore Lappe\u2019s book <\/span>Diet for a Small Planet<\/span><\/i>. At the time, some people thought the book was extreme. (I\u2019ll discuss Moore Lappe\u2019s promotion of vegetarian diet in the next issue of the Kangaroo Valley Voice.)<\/span><\/p>\n

My interest in sustainable foods expanded with the work of Professor Joan Gussow, a humble but brilliant American environmentalist (also a prolific gardener), who espoused the idea of \u201ceat locally, think globally\u201d. This was way ahead of the many researchers who have now come to concentrate on planetary health and the need for some to change the way they eat so others can have healthier diets. Michael Pollan, the well-known author of T<\/span>he Omnivore\u2019s Dilemma<\/span><\/i> said \u201cOnce in a while, I think I\u2019ve had an original thought, then I think and read around and realise Joan said it first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University in London, is another whose ideas have influenced many of us. He has led the debate on the need to establish food systems that suit the particular environment where people live, promoting health and social justice for citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Like Tim, I wish we could use the term \u2018citizen\u2019 rather than \u2018consumer\u2019. A citizen has political rights and responsibilities whereas consumers play a more passive role, allowing others to decide what they need. The processed food industry sticks rigidly with the term \u2018consumers\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lang and others also pushed Gussow\u2019s ideas about local foods. So did the Consumers\u2019 Association (now Choice) when they publicised the absurdity of truckloads of chickens going from Melbourne to feed people in Brisbane passing truckloads of chickens being taken from Brisbane to feed people in Melbourne.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the various aspects of sustainable food supplies are difficult to fix, especially for many Australian farmers. But the issue where we can all help is possibly the easiest to fix. It\u2019s food waste.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Food waste happens on farms, in transport and food storage, in supermarkets, caf\u00e9s, restaurants, hospitals and institutions \u2013 and in our homes. Wasting food involves resources of land, water, soil and fertilisers, fuel, labour, time and money. And almost every aspect of food waste increases carbon dioxide emissions and thus contributes to climate change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Statistics<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Globally, approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted each year \u2013 equal to about a third of all food produced. Enough food is currently produced to feed everyone in the world, including the millions who go to bed hungry and those who die of starvation. If we could prevent food waste, we would not only wipe out starvation, but have enough to feed the United Nations estimated peak population of over 10 billion people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Australia is certainly not immune to food waste. Each year, the amount of food wasted in Australia totals 7.6 million tonnes. About 70% of that is perfectly edible and over 40% comes from homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

As well as food waste on farms, in transport and storage, fresh produce is often wasted because it doesn\u2019t meet some purchasers\u2019 specific appearance requirements. Supermarkets have been prime culprits in this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Supermarkets can help<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

After years of lobbying by many of us, some supermarkets and produce markets have finally taken this to heart by selling what were once called \u2018ugly\u2019 products. Labelled under banners such as the \u2018Odd Bunch\u2019, \u2018Imperfect\u2019 or \u2018Imperfect picks\u2019, these products may not fulfil previous appearance requirements, but they\u2019re just as nutritious. They are generally sold at a lower price than their \u2018better-looking\u2019 family members, but that is an advantage for customers, and while it may give farmers a lower return, they do get something. Best of all, it beats unnecessary food waste.<\/span><\/p>\n

Supermarkets have also moved to contribute foods to food banks and charities, and in some cases fresh fruits and vegetables that might be squashed or not quite up to scratch are available to farmers as feed for some animals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Food labels<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

In the home, food waste occurs because we buy too much, cook too much or simply forget or fail to use what is in the fridge or pantry. I\u2019ve written before about \u2018best before\u2019 or \u2018use by\u2019 food labels.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018Best before\u2019 doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t eat the food after that date. It\u2019s related to quality not safety. Some foods will be perfectly edible years after such labels might indicate, as long as their packaging is not damaged. Canned foods, dry foods such as pasta, rice or other grains and legumes can last for years if they\u2019re stored safely with their colour, flavour, texture and taste undiminished. Some frozen foods can lose some quality, but many that are kept frozen will be fine much longer than their \u2018Best before\u2019 label indicates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Any food that can last longer than two years doesn\u2019t need to carry a \u2018Best before\u2019 label. Many companies still use these labels \u2013 which a cynic may say will encourage people (and supermarkets) to throw away foods past the printed date and buy fresh supplies. It\u2019s always wise to store foods so you know which are the oldest, but the chances are that most will be fine to consume after the stated date. Correct storage can reduce food waste \u2013 and also save you money.<\/span><\/p>\n

If there\u2019s no \u2018Best before\u2019 or \u2018Use by\u2019 date, you will find that Australian foods will be marked with a four digit (or preferably five-digit) code. This is needed in case a food needs to be traced due to some contaminant that may be discovered years later. The first number (or the first two numbers) indicates the last digit in the year and the remaining numbers indicate the day in the calendar the food was packaged, So a food packaged on 30 June 2023 would have a number of 3181 (the 3 represents the\u00a0 last digit in the year 2023 and the 181 is because the 30<\/span>th<\/span> of June is the 181st day of the year).<\/span><\/p>\n

Foods with a \u2018Best before\u2019 label can legally be sold as long as they\u2019re not damaged, deteriorated or perished. By contrast, it\u2019s illegal for any shop to sell foods past their \u2018Use by\u2019 date. This is a matter of safety. You may not be able to see bacteria in sliced meats or some dairy products but, if present, they could cause serious health problems.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the home<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Reduce waste by:<\/span><\/p>\n