The Reality of Food Waste and How to Get Started Reducing It
Food
Wastage
One of the most critical human
healthcare issues is food waste, which has been recognized worldwide as a
public health concern. In fact, according to recent estimates by the United
Nations, more than one billion people in the world live with hunger.
Furthermore, approximately 2,000 tons of edible food (including fruits and
vegetables) are wasted and enter landfills every day. It is also estimated by
UNICEF that around 15 percent of all food-related waste goes unreported
worldwide. This means that there is much unrecorded by the public on how much
food they consume. Because the majority of this waste is unreported, it
generates great public health risks. For example, the World Health Organization
estimates that 20% of the agricultural sector produces food waste and releases
toxins into the environment due to inefficient production methods or poorly
managed farms. Moreover, these practices increase greenhouse gas emissions that
eventually contribute to global warming. The purpose of this article is to
identify some basic principles of food waste management and how to prevent food
contamination at source and packaging stage.
Cleaning up food waste in supply chain
According to FAO, effective waste
management strategies begin with the supply chain, meaning waste management at
the initial stages of production. Focusing on the quality attributes of
agricultural products can be an important step in preventing contamination.
These include assessing whether the product satisfies the minimum requirements
for compliance (for example, labeling), what level of hygiene measures are
required, the degree of contamination, and the potential spread of the
pathogens. To ensure food safety and security, it is necessary to use simple
tools to confirm that the food produced meets standards to avoid
cross-contamination.
Avoiding contaminating contaminated
raw materials
The primary purpose of packing
and handling food is to protect the life and well-being of consumers. Hence,
packaging should be designed to reduce exposure to harmful microorganisms (such
as Salmonella or Listeria monocytogenes) or other microbes. Therefore, the
design and construction of packaging must focus on aspects such as material
type (e.g. paper or plastic), size, seal, color, and material. Although there
are no rules that specify what types of packaging should be used, FAO
recommends a standard of practice in manufacturing (preferably based on those
used in commercial food production) with guidelines for label labeling,
packaging protection, and product integrity.
Using correct terms
The FDA provides technical
information regarding labelling and description of products as part of its
Quality Systems Regulation (QSR) No. 21, established under section 801(b) of
the Federal Food Inspection Act (FDIA), which was reauthorized through Section
3010 of H.R. 5223 (117th Congress). For foods that require multiple external
labelling to meet consumer needs, such labels should have specific terms such
as “contains” or “contains fat” and not “fat-free, low-fat, low sodium.”
Additionally, if more than 1 single ingredient is listed, the phrase “contains”
may be used. However, in any case, food is marketed or promoted as containing
less than 25 percent total sugar or fat. Specific terminology must be included
for each food product to comply with regulation.
Avoiding cross-contamination
Food safety concerns arise when a
product of two different kinds is processed together or mixed (i.e., packaged),
which often leads to unintended mixing of contaminants if packaging is not
correctly done. The general principle behind cross-contamination concerns food
that is meant to be consumed raw. By contrast, the risk of contamination is
greater in industrial food such as meat, poultry, fish, and eggs because their
processing requires greater contact. If possible, customers should not handle
raw (i.e., uncooked) foods and discard them at home unless explicitly directed
otherwise. On the contrary, customers who do not intend to eat raw foods but
wish to keep them at home should dispose of the prepared goods once opened and
stored once refrigerated. Food handlers must always wash their hands before and
after washing raw meat, seafood, fresh fruit, salads, etc., and frequently
touch hot surfaces like grills, pans, cutting boards, utensils, knives, and
spoons to avoid contamination. When storing, consumers should consider storing
raw food at room temperature if they do not intend to consume it immediately.
Finally, raw food handlers should follow appropriate sanitation procedures prior
to cooking.
Food contamination prevention
There are various ways in which
food can be contaminated, depending on particular circumstances. Nevertheless,
in all cases, the first step to eliminating food contamination is proper
storage and handling. According to the Food Safety Law Institute, which is
sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund, proper storage and handling of
food can help reduce food contamination. While many countries have adopted
legislation requiring food manufacturers to store, transport, store and
properly cook food products, the issue remains contentious in the U.S.. Food
poisoning from restaurant, grocery and fast-food establishments is relatively
rare, resulting mainly from inadequate handling and preparation of food
products. As a result, only 10 states require restaurants to provide adequate
cleaning and sanitary service in order to retain license; however, there are
several others that may have additional regulations. At present, it seems
likely that Congress will expand federal laws requiring certain food
manufacturers, primarily restaurants, to cleanliness and sanitary conditions to
remain in business. However; current legislation allows restaurants to claim
exemptions under the Clean Air Act to limit the scope of food contamination. It
is unclear whether the Senate would adopt similar exemptions on food
contamination. Lastly, some states have policies that encourage voluntary
self-cleaning programs and inspections (for example, Texas passed a law
allowing residents $1 million dollars per year to replace cracked windows in
stores with free window cleaning).