Half of all food 'thrown away' claims report

[dipsydoodle]

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".

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

[tama]

1. Artificial scarcity

If it can't be turned into money, destroy it.

Many people dumpster dive, not only because they have no money to buy food, but because good food gets mindlessly wasted by throwing it into trash bin. And then many put locks on trash bins so people can't dumpster dive.

What is the real crime?

[xchrom]

2. du rec. nt

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. I see it on a daily basis.

[sunwyn]

4. Between my compost bin, my chickens, and canning and freezing,

Nothing goes to waste in my house. But I have seen alot of people and businesses throw away perfectly good food. When I worked grocery we always donated to the local food banks and soup kitchens. It's my understanding that a lot of place no longer do this as it opens them up to lawsuits.

[Buzz Clik]

5. As I understand it, the losses in the US are different than in the rest of the world.

We in the US throw our food away after market, often from preparing too much food for consumption.

In much of the world, the food is lost prior to selling it to consumers.

[intheflow]

6. I wish people knew that sell-by dates doesn't mean it goes bad after that date.

In fact, it's good until it isn't, as best judged by looking at the food, smelling it, and using your own best judgement. The USDA needs to be more aggressive in getting this information out.

USDA Fact Sheets: Food Labeling: Food Product Dating

[dipsydoodle]

7. Same in the UK

from 16 months ago :

Scrap food sell-by dates, government urges manufacturers.

Sell-by dates should be removed from food packaging to help cut waste and save shoppers money, ministers say.

The UK throws away about £12bn of edible food each year and critics say confusing packaging is partly to blame.

New government advice says firms should include only use-by or best-before dates and remove sell-by and display-until labels relating to stock control.

The British Retail Consortium said a better approach would be to educate people on what the dates mean.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) says five million tonnes of edible food is discarded by UK households annually - the equivalent of £680 for a household with children.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14925046

I've got some roquefort in the freezer which my daughter brought back from Paris in 1988.

[Speck Tater]

8. Those that means we can feed twice the current population

by simply not throwing away food.