Food waste

 Hi, Assalamualaikum everyone, how are you doing today? May Allah ease everything in our lives and bless all of us. This time I will share with all my beloved readers about food waste. I'm sure that all of you know what is food waste right? 

But first, lets watch this video that I share here👇

 “The amount of food wastage in Malaysia is enough to feed 12 million people three times a day. On top of that, the amount rises by about 15 to 20 per cent during festive seasons. Food waste in this country has reached a critical level as data by Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) shows that 55 percent of solid waste disposed at landfills comprise food. The reality, however, is the food is still ending up in Malaysia's landfills - and space is running out. As of 2018, Malaysia has 170 waste disposal sites - and only 14 had "sanitary landfill" status.  

Let's get to know what are the causes of food waste and what are the effect of food waste. 

Various causes of food waste: 

1.  lack of  appropriate planning = sometimes people buy lots of food without appropriately making plans on when and how the food will be prepared for consumption. 
2.  purchase and preparation of too much food = if one purchases or prepares too much food than is needed, then it’s obvious the excess food on the plate will go to waste. Alternatively, the partially used food is at times put at the back of the fridge and is never reused.
3. over preparation of foods in restaurants, hotels, and the foodservice industry = Most restaurants, hotels, and the foodservice industry alike have a tendency of over-preparing/producing food. While the intention is good especially in anticipation of high customer volume and the ability to not running out of the menu, over-preparation often leads to wastage if all the food is unsold. DC Central Kitchen – committed to the course of reducing food wastage, points out that overproduction in the foodservice industry is the leading cause of food wastage.

4. consumer behavior = Particularly, the consumer behavior on focus here is the tendency of having a keen insight for good judgment which results in those who only prefer unblemished vegetables and fruits, and the restrictive must display for shelf-life dates.

Effects of food wastage:

1. biodiversity loss = In order to maximize agricultural yields, farmers have increasingly invaded wild areas in search of more fertile lands which has led to the loss of biodiversity. The reason for this is that practices such as slash and burn, deforestation, and conversion of wild areas into farmlands have destroyed the natural habitats for birds, fish, mammals, and amphibians.
2. blue water footprint = if 30 percent of all the food produced goes to waste, then it means that more than 30 percent of freshwater used in the production and processing of food also goes to waste. This contributes to blue water footprint which refers to the amount of consumed surface and groundwater resources that goes to waste.
3.  increase carbon footprint and the acceleration of climate change = The reason for this is the consideration for the energy wasted and the primary use of fossil fuels in food production including processing and cooking together with transportation to various consumer markets worldwide. What’s more, the methane gas produced at landfills by food thrown out as waste further aggravates climate change and global warming.
4.  economic consequences = According to FAO’s report estimates, the economic losses associated with food wastage is about $750 billion dollars per annum.

   However, there are many ways to reduce food waste. This is some of my ways to reduce food waste.

     First of all, my mother will ask me to make a list of items that we need to buy to avoid buying more food than we need. We are also make a point to use up all the food that we purchased last trip to the market before we buying more groceries.

                                 

    Furthermore, my mother teach me to store food correctly. Based on my readings, many people are unsure how to store fruits and vegetables, which can lead to premature ripening and, eventually, rotten produce.

For instance, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers and onions should never be refrigerated. These items should be kept at room temperature.

Separating foods that produce more ethylene gas from those that don’t is another great way to reduce food spoilage. Ethylene promotes ripening in foods and could lead to spoilage.

Foods that produce ethylene gas while ripening include:

• Bananas
• Avocados
• Tomatoes
• Cantaloupes
• Peaches
• Pears
• Green onions

Keep these foods away from ethylene-sensitive produce like potatoes, apples, leafy greens, berries and peppers to avoid premature spoilage.

    Then, I always pack my food everyday when I was in a primary and a secondary school because that time I am not familiar with the canteen's foods and for me the canteen is far from my class. It is also a helpful way to save money while reducing your carbon footprint.

   Last but not least, when my family and I go to the restaurant to eat, we just order the foods that we want to eat only and if one of us are not finished our foods we will 'tapau' ( ask waiter or waitress to pack our food that we not finished to bring home).

 

"Cutting food waste is a delicious way of saving money, helping to feed the world and protect the planet".
~ Tristram Stuart

So, that's all. Thank you, take care and have a nice day.