Food Waste
Wasted food affects people, the economy, and the environment.
There are two main kinds of wasted food: food loss and food waste. Food loss refers to food that is discarded at any point in the food supply and food production chain, specifically crops left in the field, food that spoils in transportation, and all other food that doesn’t make it into a store. Food waste focuses on a specific area of food loss that includes food that is tossed out at retail outlets and supermarkets due to color or appearance and uneaten food that is thrown out by consumers at restaurants and at home.
Americans will throw $161 billion worth, or 80 billion pounds of food away this year, which is approximately 40% of the food that is grown here. That’s like every person in the US throwing 640 oranges or 1,000 prickly pear fruits right into the landfill, along with the amount of water, energy, and labor hours it took to produce and transport that food. Once in the landfill, food waste decays and emits greenhouse gases that exacerbate the warming effects of climate change, which in Arizona means even higher temperatures and prolonging a 20-year drought that has strained our most precious resource: water.
With nearly 40 million people struggling with food security in the US today, how can we possibly continue on this path of food loss when the consequences for our environment and society are so dire?
Is it Expired or Still Good to Eat?
Ever wonder what date labels actually mean? Here are what several different date labels and what they actually mean:
Best by date: This date is the optimal time that the product will be at best flavor or quality. Food remains edible after this date and is mostly concerned with taste.
Sell by date: This date informs sellers when to remove items from the shelves to ensure customers receive the item at top quality, which can last several days to weeks past its sell-by date.
Use by date: This is the last day that the producer can guarantee the top quality of the food. This is not a food safety date.
Test your ability to spot whether the food is destined for the dumpster or in the bellies of our neighbors!
Food Actions With Big Impacts
Look at expiration labels carefully
Date labels for many foods are a rough suggestion for when food should be tossed. While useful for markets and grocery outlets to track how long a food product has been available for sale to avoid sick customers, your sense of sight and smell are the best way to determine if food has in fact spoiled.
Start composting
Composting food scraps can eliminate much of the food that would have entered the landfill and improve the composition and water capacity of Arizona’s parched soil. You can start composting and transform your food waste into fertilizer.
Be thoughtful and plan ahead
Create a list before shopping and buy only what you need. Also, order only what you intend to eat at a restaurant. If you have food that can’t be consumed immediately, throw it in the freezer to be eaten at a later date. When eating out, bring reusable to-go containers to pack any remaining food for another meal.