Food waste
What is the EU doing ?
Food waste: causes
Overproduction, misshapen products, product & packaging damage (primary production and food manufacturing);
Stock inefficiencies and marketing strategies such as 2-for-1 deals (retail);
Lack of awareness, lack of shopping planning and date label confusion (best before/use by) (households);
Standard portion sizes (catering);
Inadequate storage (throughout the food supply chain);
Inadequate food packaging.
All the actors of the food chain should tackle their sector-specific causes to reduce food waste.
What can you do?
The food we throw away is a waste of valuable resources as it is expensive to buy and dispose of.
Buy smartly & plan your weekly meals. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Don't shop when you’re hungry. Buy loose fruits and vegetables so you can buy the quantity you need.
Check the use-by and best-before dates. The use-by date label means the food is safe to eat until the indicated day e.g. meat and fish. The best-before label shows the date until when the product retains its expected quality but is still safe to consume after that date.
Store food according to the package instructions or in the fridge at 1-5 degrees C°.
Bring older items in your cupboards and fridge to the front and put new food at the back to avoid stuff going mouldy on your shelves.
Serve small portions. Everybody can come back for more once they’ve cleared their plate.
Use your leftovers at lunch the day after, for next day’s dinner or freeze for another occasion.
Turn it into garden food. Set up a compost bin for fruit and vegetable peelings and teat your plants to rich compost.
