1. By Richard Battista HOW CHEFS AND RESTAURANTS CAN END WORLD
HUNGER
2. According to an article recently completed for Chef 2 Chef,
most professional chefs are far more focused on feeding people and
forget all too frequently the prevalence of world hunger
3. Members of any branch of the food service industry cannot
deny that, on the path from the delivery dock to the customers
plate, a lot of aspects of foods and products go to waste.
4. For further proof of this, the article references a study
completed by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United
States, which indicated that approximately one third of the food
that gets produced for human consumption in the world is lost or
wasted.
5. In the United States, this statistic increases to one half
of the food created. The amount of food wasted could go towards
feeding the millions in the world who have far too little
food.
6. The first issue addressed by the article is why the United
States is particularly guilty on this offense
7. According to Civil Eats, a blog completed by Amber Turpin,
the food grown and farmed in the United States is done in massive
quantities and trucked all over the country.
8. This process naturally leads to surplus and spoilage due to
travel constraints; often the food is thrown out before it could
have been safely consumed. In addition to this, in relative terms
to the rest of the world, food is cheap in the United States.
9. When the consumer can upgrade to the large fry for only one
dollar more, they are inclined to do so; however, buying more
doesnt increase what we can eat and often results in more thrown
away food
10. Alternatively, in nations where food is expensive, waste is
a far less common problem on the consumer level.
11. The article also offers up its own explanations for the
heavy reliance on waste in the United States. Often, consumers seek
to make recipes that involve odd ingredients.
12. The ingredient is purchased and only used rarely to repeat
the recipe. This process results in the rest of the product being
thrown away once the expiration date has come and gone.
13. There is also a cultural expectation that food must be
visually appealing to be consumed; the slightest sign of
imperfection results in further unnecessary waste.
14. Several solutions are presented, most of which are to be
taken on the part of chefs. Developing relationships with local
farmers could work symbiotically, with fresh produce no longer
going to waste.
15. Reasonable proportions should be presented in every meal;
or, as an alternative, allow customers to choose their own portion
sizes.
16. Composting should be engaged and education should be sought
on how to store food to get the maximum usage out of it. Solutions
are offered from the Environmental Protection Agency, where
sustainable practices are encouraged.
17. Feed hungry humans and animals with any leftover or
unnecessary food. Compost can also be sought, to meet the needs of
soil.