Half of all food 'thrown away' claims report

[Don]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20968076

As much as half of the world's food, amounting to two billion tonnes worth, ends up being thrown away, a UK-based report has claimed.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers said the waste was being caused by poor storage, strict sell-by dates, bulk offers and consumer fussiness.

The study also found that up to 30% of vegetables in the UK were not harvested because of their physical appearance.

The institution's Dr Tim Fox said the level of waste was "staggering".

The report said that between 30% and 50% of the four billion tonnes of food produced around the world each year went to waste.

It suggested that half the food bought in Europe and the US was thrown away.

Dr Fox, head of energy and environment at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said: "The amount of food wasted and lost around the world is staggering. This is food that could be used to feed the world's growing population - as well as those in hunger today.

"It is also an unnecessary waste of the land, water and energy resources that were used in the production, processing and distribution of this food.

"The reasons for this situation range from poor engineering and agricultural practices, inadequate transport and storage infrastructure through to supermarkets demanding cosmetically perfect foodstuffs and encouraging consumers to overbuy through buy-one-get-one-free offers."

And he told the BBC's Today programme: "If you're in the developing world, then the losses are in the early part of the food supply chain, so between the field and the marketplace.

"In the mature, developed economies the waste is really down to poor marketing practices and consumer behaviour."

The report - Global Food; Waste Not, Want Not - also found that huge amounts of water, totalling 550 billion cubic metres, were being used to grow crops that were never eaten.

The institution said the demand for water for food production could reach 10 to 13 trillion cubic metres a year by 2050.

The United Nations predicts there will be an extra three billion mouths to feed by 2075 as the global population swells to 9.5 billion.

Dr Fox added: "As water, land and energy resources come under increasing pressure from competing human demands, engineers have a crucial role to play in preventing food loss and waste by developing more efficient ways of growing, transporting and storing foods.

"But in order for this to happen governments, development agencies and organisation like the UN must work together to help change people's mindsets on waste and discourage wasteful practices by farmers, food producers, supermarkets and consumers."

[steveo777]

We are all gulty. How many times have you gone grocery shopping, hungry, but also thinking into the next few days? Maybe we should be on a just in time diet, where we have to go to the store every day and buy only what we need for that particular day. I can't count how many times I've bought time sensitive food, then been called by a friend to go out or gone on extended hours at work, only to have to throw out perfectly good food, that would have been fine, had it been eaten by the date intended.

[JRNYMAN]

I think "half" is a bit of a stretch but who knows? Maybe...

One of the things that has never set well with me is WalMart's irresponsibility and what amounts to basically a cop-out when it comes to their disposal of post-shelf life products. Every day the perishables and baked goods that have not sold by their pull-date is thrown away rather than being donated to food banks and shelters. Why? Because of the backlash they could face if someone gets sick from food they donated. I'm not making that up. That's the cut and dried reason why their 4,400 stores in the US do not have a relationship with the shelters and food banks across the country. It became my mission to change that policy when I worked for them several years ago. I put together plan after plan and presented them to district managers, regional managers, VP's.... you name it. And every one of them said the same thing: "Yeah, I agree... it's a shame that we have to do it this way but with a company as large as this one, we just can't leave ourselves open to that kind of a liability." And, every night, I'd watch the meat, produce and bakery depts. fill out their spoil sheets and then load shopping carts FULL of still edible food into the dumpster.
I realize this is drifting away from your post, Don, but it just reminded me of this.

And hey Steve.... quit buying food that has to be eaten that friggin' day! What are you buying.... sushi with quail eggs on top?!

And regarding the waste of water in that arricle....
My daughter is in her last year at ASU studying Sustainable Environmental Engineering and her emphasis is in water resource protection, management, and distribution. Some of the things I've learned from her the past few years about how horribly we manage our water is frightening. And don't even get me started on the situation with us selling the water by the Great Lakes in the millions of acre feet at a time!!

[FTHP1946]

The clue lies in the author of the report and their vested interest in making sure that all refrigeration, cooking and display cabinets are in 'tip top' condition - after all, who maintains and builds them - Members of the IME.

[Yoda]

Not at my house. Half of my food is eaten by the time I get home with it from the grocery store!

[The Sushi Hunter]

We are all gulty. How many times have you gone grocery shopping, hungry, but also thinking into the next few days? Maybe we should be on a just in time diet, where we have to go to the store every day and buy only what we need for that particular day. I can't count how many times I've bought time sensitive food, then been called by a friend to go out or gone on extended hours at work, only to have to throw out perfectly good food, that would have been fine, had it been eaten by the date intended.

That's why you don't go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. At my house, absolutely no food goes to waste.

[brandonx76]

beware...Soylent Green is coming...in the future, we're all going to having "Shakes" for food (see also - Wall-E)

btw, doesn't surprise me, with all the food in the meat department, and bakery...(i.e. stale bread)...shame they don't / can't donate this to the homeless shelters (more to do with food safety requirement more than anything, I'm told from food store workers)

[The Sushi Hunter]

beware...Soylent Green is coming...in the future, we're all going to having "Shakes" for food (see also - Wall-E)

btw, doesn't surprise me, with all the food in the meat department, and bakery...(i.e. stale bread)...shame they don't / can't donate this to the homeless shelters (more to do with food safety requirement more than anything, I'm told from food store workers)

"Shakes" for food source if it ever comes to that, will probably happen long after we are dead and gone. That would probably be something for the 23nd Century. Unless you're an astronaut or have most of your digestive tract removed.

The other day I was at my local grocery a few minutes before closing time, and the employees at the deli were throwing all the prepared hot food away in a 35 gallon plastic trash can on wheels. I asked them why they don't donate it. They said store policy is throwing it away. I commented that if I owned the store, I'd let the employees at least take it home at the end of the night. They said that they'd be fired for eating any of it. That's too bad I think.

[Jonny B]

beware...Soylent Green is coming...in the future, we're all going to having "Shakes" for food (see also - Wall-E)

btw, doesn't surprise me, with all the food in the meat department, and bakery...(i.e. stale bread)...shame they don't / can't donate this to the homeless shelters (more to do with food safety requirement more than anything, I'm told from food store workers)

"Shakes" for food source if it ever comes to that, will probably happen long after we are dead and gone. That would probably be something for the 23nd Century. Unless you're an astronaut or have most of your digestive tract removed.

The other day I was at my local grocery a few minutes before closing time, and the employees at the deli were throwing all the prepared hot food away in a 35 gallon plastic trash can on wheels. I asked them why they don't donate it. They said store policy is throwing it away. I commented that if I owned the store, I'd let the employees at least take it home at the end of the night. They said that they'd be fired for eating any of it. That's too bad I think.

My grocery store is making an attempt to recycle everything that's normally thrown away. Perishable meat, expired dairy products, and freezer-burned items gets recycled into compost. Egg Cartons with broken eggs are given to a local salvage grocer; he makes new dozens with the eggs that are not broken and re-sells them for a discount. Dead produce & leftover prepared deli foods are given to a local pig farmer. Breads and desserts from the bakery are donated to the local food pantry. Expired canned goods are returned to the company they came from for partial store credit towards new product.

[Moon Beam]

Maybe we should be on a just in time diet, where we have to go to the store every day and buy only what we need for that particular day.

I was raised in a house where Meme (the head honcho)
sent my Father out every day to get what we needed for just that day.
It's how my house is run now as well and we waste very little food.
Also, I married a human garbage disposal that will not let an once of
edible go uneaten.
Seriously, I have witnessed the man munch down on two week old spaghetti.

[The Sushi Hunter]

Maybe we should be on a just in time diet, where we have to go to the store every day and buy only what we need for that particular day.

I was raised in a house where Meme (the head honcho)
sent my Father out every day to get what we needed for just that day.
It's how my house is run now as well and we waste very little food.
Also, I married a human garbage disposal that will not let an once of
edible go uneaten.
Seriously, I have witnessed the man munch down on two week old spaghetti.

LOL. That's me as well. As for the spaghetti, that wouldn't last two days without being eaten in my house. We make sure hot to cook too much at one time.