PREVENTING FOOD LOSS

Waste not, want not. That axiom couldn’t be farther from the truth when it comes to our love affair with food. Did you realize that 40 percent of all food is thrown away in the USA? Did you know that more than one-tenth of American households were deemed ‘food insecure’ before the pandemic even hit? What are the causes behind this problem, and what are the solutions?

Educating the masses is one important place to start. Consider the widespread disposal and disregard of ‘ugly’ food by the buying public. Teaching consumers about imperfect food shapes and expiration dates is a major step toward the reduction of food waste.

Imperfect foods have become a focus of innovative startups by bringing them to market with campaigns that support consumption. And expiration dates can also be extended in the FFV (fresh fruit and vegetable) markets by decontamination processes. The processes themselves are under question due to the residuals left on the FFV during the process, but the standardization of FFV has improved with better seed technology, therefore improving the processing capabilities and efficacies.

Beyond that, a continued improvement in supply chain management and cold storage traceability and tracking is crucial for saving perfectly good food from ending up in landfills. The tighter the supply chain and the better the tracking capability, the higher the likelihood that fresh produce will make it to the grocery store with the consistency and confidence that consumers are requiring. The same goes for food processors, who see consistency and product quality as part of their requirements for suppliers.

FULL STORY – Food chain Magazine