WHAT IS FOOD WASTE? YOUR BEST GUIDE

What is food waste? Your best guide 

Food is made to be eaten, and it is wasted when it is not. 

 What is food waste?

Food waste is defined as any food product that is lost, spoiled or left uneaten.

There are two important phrases when it comes to food waste.

Here is their description:

 Food waste: 

products that are fit for human consumption, but are not consumed and thrown away. This term is often used to refer to food that is not consumed at the end of its supply chain, such as household waste. 

  Food loss:

Product has been damaged, spilled or lost during the supply chain. This usually happens during harvesting, production, processing and distribution. Food losses cover everything from unharvested crops to food spoilage during transit.

 All food waste is food loss, but not all wasted food is food waste. All types of potatoes are vegetables, but not all vegetables are potatoes.

What is the problem of food waste?
 
If food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, behind America and China. Food produces more than a third of their greenhouse gas emissions (NewScientist). Yet a third of our world’s food is wasted, despite a UN report that says food production will double by 2050 to meet the needs of our growing population.

 Food should be tasted and not wasted. But when products are thrown away and thrown away, it’s not just the property and products that are consumed. It also wastes energy, contributes to global warming and worsens world hunger.
 
Biting off more means creating harmful waste. And worse, when food ends up in a landfill, it breaks down methane, adding even more greenhouse gases to the mix.

How much food is wasted in the UK every year? 

According to Wrap (the Waste and Resources Action Programme), the UK wastes around 9.52 million tonnes of food every year. 6.4 million tons are completely consumed immediately after disposal. It costs us £19 billion a year; £284 for any UK citizen (Exo professionals).
 
Food waste in the UK generates 25 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every 12 months. Eliminating food waste would be equivalent to taking one in five cars off UK roads (UK Government).

 Food waste facts and stats

•    More than 900 million tons of food is wasted worldwide every year, and 17% of the food we produce is wasted (United Nations Environment Programme).

•  The average household spends £470 on food that ends up in a bag (Wrap). 

• 6.4 million tonnes of UK food waste could be eaten (Wrap). 

• Cows, shield your eyes and ears… Because almost 500 million liters of British milk is poured down the drains every year (Wrap).

•  One third of all food is wasted (UN Food Agency).

• Food waste represents 8 to 10% of greenhouse gas emissions (Wrap).

 
What causes food waste? 

The causes of food waste can be divided into four categories:
 
  By-products: 

Scraps and trimming created during production are not consumed. This also explains the crops damaged by bad weather and insects.
 
  Expired Products:

 Items that have rotted or reached their expiration or expiration date. The sell-by date is the end at which the seller can no longer sell the product to the customer. If a product has reached its expiration date, it usually has about a third of its shelf life left. You should always eat food before its expiration date, unless you can freeze it.

  Leftovers:

 Products left on plates, bowls and cups. This is common in restaurants and homes.
 
 Unsold: 

Items not purchased in stores and restaurants that cannot be sold.
 
One of the most shocking and avoidable items for food waste retailers is cosmetics: 40% of wasted fruit and vegetables are wasted because they are small or negative. 

Where does food waste end?
 
Most of the food waste we throw away ends up in landfills, just like those nasty single-use plastics we throw away all the time.

 Landfill is a major contributor to climate problems, producing greenhouse gases and toxic substances that enter our oceans and land. But by using sustainable packaging, recycling and reuse, and reducing food waste, we can avoid them altogether.

 Food should not be left in the garbage. It should be celebrated and enjoyed. Because as soon as it goes from the trash to the landfill, it begins to decompose, releasing a greenhouse gas 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide and a million times more powerful than carbon dioxide. you later.

 How much food do supermarket waste?

 UK supermarkets waste 240,000 meals a year (Evening Standard). This is equivalent to the weight of about 1,500 houses, and the weight of more than 40,000 elephants. According to The Independent, supermarkets waste enough food for 190 million meals a year. But only nine percent of their food waste is given to the hungry. 

How much food is the company wasting? 

About 60% of food waste comes from households (BBC News), while the rest is thrown away from retail, entertainment, hospitality and other businesses.

Read also: FOOD SECURITY: SUFFICIENT SAFE AND HEALTHY FOOD FOR EVERYONE

 
Which country produces the most food waste?

 According to Forbes research, China is the largest consumer of food, spending more than 91.5 million tons per year. India ranks second in the world in terms of food waste, with nearly 68.8 million tonnes of food wasted in a 12-month period. The United States comes in third place, with more than 19.3 million tons. The UK is the seventh largest contributor to billions of food waste each year.

 What is the most wasted food?
 
According to research and surveys, here are the most common family meals:
 
 1. Bread
 
 2. Salad bag
 
 3. Fresh vegetables
 
 4. Cooked leftover 

 5. Fresh fruit
 
 6. Milk
 
 7. Eggs
 
 8. Cheese
 
 9. Meat
 
 10. Fish
 
Now, we’re not going to try to create some deep recipes using all of the above (milky, eggy, cheesey, fruity, fishy, ​​meat stew, anyone?). But there are several ways to accelerate food waste reduction. 

How can I reduce my own food waste? 

Youth and young people are wasted and fed in garbage. But becoming a trash watcher is easier than you think. From the supermarket to your fridge, bowls and dishes, here are some ways to reduce food waste in your home.

 
Meal planning

Meal planning makes your cooking life much easier, adding essential organization and structure to your eating habits. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it.
 
Planning ahead lets you know exactly what you want, when you want it, and what you want. 

Shopping list

We’ve all been there. Standing in the middle of the aisle, having real problems with what you have at home. It shouldn’t be like that. Shopping lists solve these age-old problems. All you have to do is check what’s in your cupboards, fridges and freezers and know what you need before you go shopping. This way, you won’t have to recreate things you already have. Simple ones. 

Refill station
 
Throwing away unused herbs and spices is a waste of thyme. And wasting rice or pasta is an absolute crime against all things delicious. That’s why we love ports. These stores allow you to fill your own reusable

containers with as much or as little product as you want. Shop and watch your food waste decrease! 

Leftovers
 
If leftovers are the right way to dispose of food waste, they will be called leftovers. The next time you find yourself struggling to shove the last piece or pieces of lasagna under your already loose straps, don’t just throw them away. Ask the restaurant if you can take them home. This way, you won’t spend the whole night regretting the fried fries again.
 
The same is true at home. Your garbage can opens up its greed every time you feed it, but a better way to spice up your food is to clean the leftovers in Tupperware for lunch the next day.

Read also:9 BEST FOODS FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE (PLUS 6 OF THE WORST)

 
Portion planning
 
We all know that it takes an expert to know how much pasta or rice is enough for one person. And even the best of us can finish a shared pack of Maltesers in one sitting. But if you want to reduce your waste while watching your waistline, it’s worth determining your size early on. If you are cooking for four, but there are only two of you, try to reduce the ingredients. Or cook the whole meal and freeze or refrigerate the leftovers.

 Keep a beady eye on dates
 
No, it’s not a sweet fruit. We are talking about sell-by and use-by days! If you notice that something in your refrigerator or cupboard is nearing its use-by date, check the label to see if it will freeze. This will prolong its life and ensure that it will not perish.
 

Some supermarkets have started removing expiration dates to avoid wasting food.
 
If this isn’t the case for your area, we’ve put together a guide to the difference between best before date and best before date to help you get the most out of your grocery store. stay calm
  
How to make sure that uneaten food does not go to waste
 
Sometimes, food ends up not being eaten. And that’s fine too. Here are a few ways you can still fuel your desire to reduce waste by using your own unused paper:
 

•   Bring food to your accommodation. This is what we always do with every leftover food in our place!

•   Grow your own vegetables using scraps and use leftover cauliflower leaves in your recipes.

•  Use the best equipment to reduce food waste

•   Make your own compost bin, start composting and find out what compost is used for

•  use eggshells in your garden.

• Teach your children to manage food waste