September 29 is the World Day Against Food Waste, established by the FAO, whose objective is to make the population aware of this serious problem. Both the European Union and the Government of Spain have also carried out awareness-raising actions and created strategies and web pages, but the consumer hardly knows them.
One third of the world’s food production is wasted. This waste occurs throughout the food chain, from the countryside to homes, through factories, distribution and hospitality.
The cost of producing food is very high, both in money and in human and natural resources, such as land, water and energy. Therefore, it generates a great environmental impact. Although we can afford the waste, the planet cannot. At least in the medium and long term.
Fruits and vegetables are the most discarded products in distribution, followed by bread and the like. A Swedish study showed that meat and bakery wastes have the highest environmental footprint.
This reality is increasing the pressure for sustainable practices and reducing food waste. But the measures to be taken must be different depending on whether we are talking about industries, distribution or households.
In homes: awareness
The most important measure to reduce household waste is awareness. It seems that, after spending a few decades of economic hardship, where nothing could be wasted, the fact of taking advantage of all the food seems poor to us.
Curiously, it is the middle classes that waste the most, not the highest, most conscientious and with a higher level of education. In addition to making the population aware of the need to reduce food waste, it is necessary to educate them on how to preserve food or on the differences between expiration and best-before dates.
A product that reaches its best-before date should not be discarded , since in most cases it will be the same as it was just purchased. In others, we will only perceive some minimal changes in flavors or textures, without any risk to our health. Good awareness and education are also helpful in planning purchases to reduce unnecessary purchases.
In the event that a product has gone bad, such as hardened bread, there are many possibilities to reuse it.
Another measure to reduce food waste is based on applications that show us recipes with products that are about to expire. The German government launched one with simple recipes with few ingredients, easy to have at home. Now he has transformed this initiative into a website with advice and recommendations.
In supermarkets: offers
Last minute offers are among the actions that distribution can take. That is, to offer at reduced prices those products that are going to expire or reach the preferred consumption date, or the meals prepared and not consumed on the day.
In this sense, the To Good to Go application (too good to waste) has been a small revolution. It puts consumers in contact with establishments that offer these types of products. In this way, the consumer obtains a pack of products at very reduced prices and the establishment reduces waste and makes a profit for these products.
The application is operational in several countries, and due to its success, other similar initiatives have already appeared.
Another proposal of great interest is the creation of restaurants that feed on products that are going to expire. The dishes change every day depending on the products they receive. Both the premises and the service and quality have nothing to envy to a normal restaurant, and customers often come for the awareness they have about the need to contribute something in this process.
One of the best known success stories in this regard is a Swedish restaurant from the K-markt chain. In Spain, great chefs have participated in some specific actions and in the recording of recipes, but there are no similar examples, at the moment.
In industry: reuse
Another proposal to reduce food waste is to reuse this waste to make new products. It is something similar to cooking with leftovers, but brought to the industry.
For example, a British company (Toast Ale) uses the remains of bread to make beer . This idea has been imitated by other brewing companies around the world.
If we go one step further, an Austrian bakery company has set up a small distillery to use discarded breads to make alcoholic distillates. A global association has even been created made up of companies that share this philosophy. The Recycled Food Association has about 100 members who are dedicated to making new products from discarded food.
These members include some who make snacks and cereal bars from brewing industry waste, such as ReGrained; companies that take advantage of recycled bananas, such as Barnana; remains of coffee beans; or bad looking vegetables.
At the moment there is no Spanish company so established, but there is already an initiative under study that contemplates the use of discarded bread for the production of beer.
Old laws that have to be renewed
To promote these initiatives it is also necessary for the administration to favor them. To do this, you must study how to remove some legal impediments to the possible reuse of discarded food.
In many cases they are old laws that were created in times of scarcity, with the aim of avoiding fraud. The needs have changed. In turn, institutional campaigns that improve citizen awareness can also increase the success of initiatives.
Finally, there is a lack of guarantee labels that are known to consumers – and credible – about sustainability and reducing waste. Certifications already exist, but they are either little known or they do not guarantee totally respectful practices with the environment.
In the coming years we will see an increase in these initiatives. Let’s hope that the process is done correctly and is well received by consumers, since with them we can all do our bit for the conservation of our planet. Let’s not forget that all our actions have consequences: we must internalize the need to reduce food waste and help those who try.
Manuel Gómez Pallarés, Professor in Food Technology, University of Valladolid
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original.
