Today, food waste has become an emerging problem globally. As a coin has two sides, there are people dying because of starvation and on the other side food is getting wasted in tons. The issue with the food waste is difficult, the chance to reuse or to reverse the process of food waste is next to impossible. It can occur during any stage from farm to transport to the supermarket till establishment and household. To solve the problem of food waste various steps must be taken on an individual and global level. Awareness should be spread in the developed and developing nation from professional and ethical perception. Education for stopping the food waste should start from childhood. Factors encouraging the food waste can be lack of planning, improper storage, limited infrastructure these things need to be considered while managing food waste.
The food waste problem starts from the base that is farming. Even if the yield has to turn out to be good. Proper storage of grains, drying of grains plays an quintessential role, moisture might spoil the yield and once the yield is spoiled, it cannot be consumed. But the consumer on the other hand never comes across the problems; the consumer always sees the food which is readily available. Ordering food at large quantity in a restaurant, and not processing the food on time leads to wastage. Cross-contamination can also lead to tainted food. Even overcooking can lead to spoilage as the food needs to consume as it’s cooked. The impact of food waste is negative on retaurants.
Reasons behind the food waste are infinite, lack of planning can be considered as a fact when it comes to wasting food. It is very important to order the food and cook with a proper plan if the restaurant fails to sell the food it might also get wasted. Failing to use the stored food in their storages on time is one of the major factors too in food waste. Perishable food like eggs, fish, and chicken also vegetables are needed to be processed on time. Delay in this stage can also lead to food loss, longer the food is stored the potential risk of food getting perished is more. For example, one rotten mango spoils the whole box or cutting a fruit in a restaurant for service and not being consumed also leads to food waste. Sanitation, cross-contamination, hygiene also should also be considered to stop spoilage of food. Throwing of food in the environment causes even more damage as the food starts to decay the heat inside the food starts releasing methane which is even more harmful than carbon- dioxide, when it comes to getting trapped in the environment.
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As Cinda Chavich (2015) reported, “Systemic food waste is largely hidden and Canada is behind the curve when it comes to addressing the issue” (para. 5). In small and big establishment even houses face managerial and technical obstacles. To justify if a steamship (whole leg of a beef) cannot be efficiently processed in the house, it requires proper machinery to process it. Likewise in big establishments the preparation area should complement the food process efficiently, small errors can turn the product waste. For example if the porterhouse steak is not cut to proper size it cannot be sold at the prices decided by the establishment. A blend of managerial and technical obstacle should always be considered in food waste. The technical problem includes lack of skilled labor, lack of good equipment, and lack of good training leads to food wastage as well. Improper storage in the fridge can also be an element which contributes to a result, referring to food loss. If the raw chicken is stored above vegetable or fish, small errors can lead to food wastage or even food poisoning, so it essential to consider every factor which can help to reduce the food waste in general.
Awareness should start from home, wasting of food is a primary concern as there so many things which are effected in long term, financially and environmentally. If we don’t waste the food we can also use it when there is natural calamity. Lack of planning like what to order and when to order food can also help in managing food waste. Basic human error can also lead to food spoilage like improper storage, mishandling of food, no proper maintenance of temperature needed to store eatable. Food is our basic necessity and it has to be used wisely.
References
- Chavich, C. (2015, May 5). How to solve food waste problem. Maclean’s . Retrieved from https://www.macleans.ca/society/life/how-to-solve-the-food-waste-problem/
