Doug Smith: Safely Reducing Food Waste

safely reducing

FOOD WASTE

In the United States, food waste is estimated at between 30 and 40 percent of the total food supply. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, that’s approximately 133 billion pounds of food and $161 billion in 2010. This amount of waste has far-reaching impacts on how we can continue to feed our families. The cost to produce food just to add it to the landfill is a cost that is too high. As our population continues to grow we will need more available food each day in order to feed our families and with limited land and resources, this becomes more difficult. My question is why not find ways to use more of what we already have. Food loss occurs for many reasons. One type of loss such as spoilage occurs at every stage of the production. Between the farm and local retail outlet, food loss can happen from the harvest starting too soon or lasting so long that some just rots in the field. Inefficiency loss may occur during drying, milling, transporting, or processing which then exposes food to multiple types of damage. At the retail level, equipment malfunctioning, not being rotated properly, or simply over-ordering can lead to spoiled food. Even when everything goes right we waste more food by removing blemished produce or discarding meat that wasn’t cut as requested. We also contribute to food loss when we buy or cook more than needed and choose to throw out the leftovers. That’s just a few examples of what leads to nearly 40% of our food being wasted. So what can we do as consumers to stop wasting food? First, we need to stop throwing away good food. Almost weekly in my own home, I get asked questions like this, “Is this sauce still good? How about the bread?” In the past, I would simply say look at the date on the package for your answer. But no longer. I don’t want to waste good food anymore because it’s at or beyond the “Best by” date. So I asked myself what does that mean anyway? I looked it up and this is what I learned. There are no uniform descriptions used on food labels for dating. As a result, there are a wide variety of phrases used on labels to describe quality dates.

EXAMPLES OF COMMONLY USED PHRASE:

• "Best If Used By/Before" date indicates when a product will be of best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. • "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date. • “Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. It is not a safety date except for when used on infant formula. • “Freeze-By” date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.

My conclusion is manufacturers provide dating to help us, the consumer and retailers decide when food is of the best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety. The USDA estimates that almost 30 percent of our food is lost or wasted from consumers or retailers throwing away wholesome food because of confusion about the meaning of dates displayed on the label. To reduce consumer confusion and wasted food, The Food Safety and Inspection Service, a division of the USDA, recommends that food manufacturers and retailers use a “Best By” date. This is the most common date seen on the products we purchase. Foods not exhibiting signs of spoilage should be wholesome and may be purchased, donated, and consumed beyond the labeled "Best if Used By" date. So the question is, are foods safe to eat after the date on the package? With an exception of infant formula, if the date passes the use by, best by, freeze by, or sell by during at-home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until the time spoilage is evident. Spoiled foods will develop an off odor, flavor, or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten. When in doubt, throw it out!

HOW DOES DATE LABELING IMPACT FOOD WASTE?

“Confusion over the meaning of dates applied to food products can result in consumers discarding wholesome food. In an effort to reduce food waste, consumers must understand that the dates applied to food are for quality and not for safety. Foods are safe to consume past the date on the label, and regardless of the date, consumers should evaluate the quality of the food product before its

consumption.” (The Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA)

LEFTOVERS AND FOOD SAFETY

Often when we cook at home or eat in a restaurant, we have leftovers. To ensure that leftovers are safe to eat, make sure the food is cooked to a safe temperature and refrigerate the leftovers promptly. Not cooking food to a safe temperature and leaving food out at an unsafe temperature are the two main causes of foodborne illness. Safe handling of leftovers is very important to reducing foodborne illness. Follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service's recommendations for handling leftovers safely.

• Avoid cross-contamination by cleaning work areas • Cook food to the recommended temperature • Wrap leftovers well • Store food below 40 ˚F • Thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight • Reheat leftovers to 165 ˚F • Reheat sauces, soups, and gravies by bringing them to a boil

info: www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/foodsafety-basics/leftovers-and-food-safety