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 But a lot of this waste could be eliminated with smarter shopping
habits and better meal planning, some nutrition researchers argue.
"The average American family throws away 23 pounds of food each
month, averaging around $190 thrown into the garbage," said study
co-author Katie Brown, chief global nutrition strategy officer at
the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation in Chicago.
"Becoming more observant of food that finds itself in the landfill
rather than in a stomach can help shift our buying habits," Brown
added by email. "This can come in the form of ordering less food
when dining out, freezing bananas before they over ripen, or even
making a meal plan for the week to help cut costs and waste."
Waste can occur anywhere in the U.S. food chain, from farms,
processors, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants and
home kitchens, Brown and co-author Chris Vogliano note in the
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
But most of the waste happens after food reaches the market, either
because retailers or consumers throw it out, they explain.
Dairy products and vegetables are discarded most often, each
accounting for about 19 percent of food waste. Fruit and grains come
next, both contributing about 14 percent of waste, followed by
sugars and sweeteners at 13 percent and meat, poultry and fish at 12
percent.
Before food ever leaves the farm, growers can help reduce waste by
feeding livestock any produce that isn't fit for human consumption,
the authors say. Composting on the farm can also help avoid waste in
the landfill.
As food makes its way from farms to processors and retailers, proper
storage and efficient transportation can also help prevent spoilage,
minimizing waste.
When food is processed, unused scraps such as broccoli stalks, lemon
peels and animal fat can all be repurposed as ingredients in other
foods for humans and animals. Trimmings that can have a second life
as ingredients in other processed foods include pineapple juice
waste, corncobs, orange peels, cabbage leaves and carrot tops.
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Stores can help solve the problem by purchasing less, donating extra
food and composting, the authors point out. Retailers can also work
with farmers to sell imperfect or ugly-looking produce at a
discount, so it gets consumed instead of thrown out.
Supermarkets can also work with area restaurants and chefs to find
creative ways to incorporate surplus food into menus. Even produce
that looks bad on the shelf can taste great in a soup, smoothie or
baked item, for example.
Consumers need to understand product labeling so they don't toss
food they could actually still use, the authors explain.
When packages have a "use by" or "best by" date, this indicates how
long the unopened product will be at its best quality, but it can
still be consumed for quite some time after this as long as it is
properly stored.
The "sell by" date, usually on perishable items like meat and milk,
indicates how long retailers can keep items on the shelf, but they
are usually safe to consume for a few days beyond this date as long
as they are stored well.
Given the vast amount of food wasted in the U.S. each year, focusing
on any one of these approaches can make a difference, Brown noted.
"Food is being treated as a disposable good, and we must begin to
make the connection between the wellbeing of people, the planet and
our pocketbooks," Brown said.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1SVrhOQ Journal of the Academy of Nutrition
and Dietetics, online March 21, 2016.
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