Fighting Food Waste in 10 Points

Fighting Food Waste in 10 Steps While 1.3 trillion tonnes of food are wasted annually, 829 million people on Earth tragically struggle with hunger. Yet the tonnes of food wasted each year could more than meet the needs of hungry populations. Food insecurity in underdeveloped countries in particular continues to worsen under the effects of conflicts and climate crisis. Food waste also triggers climate crisis by causing carbon dioxide emissions. Given the resources consumed by this waste and the damage it causes to our planet, steps taken to prevent waste are of great importance. On 29 September, International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, here is a 10-step guide to preventing waste...

Make a list to avoid buying more than necessary

Prepare a shopping list before you go shopping and enter the store with the intention of buying only the items on that list. Products you see outside this list will be non-essential items with a risk of waste, and by not buying them you will take an important step in combating food waste.

Pay attention to best-by and recommended consumption dates

The "Best By Date" on packaged food labels tells you until which date you can safely consume the food. Since it is not safe to consume foods after their best-by date, always check dates when making purchases. Best By Date is typically used on dairy and dairy products, meat, eggs, meat products, frozen foods and packaged foods. Foods with a Best By Date (BBD) should not be stockpiled for waste prevention purposes and should be purchased in quantities that can be consumed by the best-by date. "Recommended Consumption Date" (RCD) on the other hand is more flexible than best-by date. The RCD found on packaging of dry foods such as dried beans and lentils as well as grains such as pasta can be safely consumed within the Recommended Consumption Date.  

Check your refrigerator before shopping

Shopping for a new product without checking what is missing in your refrigerator and without clearly determining what you need will often mean you will encounter spoiled products in your refrigerator. For this reason, always check your needs before shopping and make purchases accordingly.

Use foods approaching spoilage in different recipes

Regularly check foods in your dry goods cupboard and refrigerator, and definitely consume foods whose best-by dates are approaching to prevent waste. By making sure that newly purchased items are consumed later and that items you bought earlier are consumed as a priority, you can prevent waste. However, sometimes we may not want to consume food that has been sitting in the cupboard for a while even if it has not spoiled. At this stage you can create alternative dishes to use this food. You can use vegetables that are beginning to lose freshness by making soup or pastry with them, or by preparing vegetable omelette and pasta with vegetables.

Freeze leftovers of cooked meals

Serve meals in small portions; if you need more, you can add a bit more after eating. This way you prevent waste from food taken on plates in excess. Use food you could not consume a day before at the next day's lunch. If you have cooked more food than needed, freeze it for later consumption. You can share your food with the animals that are our friends on the streets.

Share if you still have more food than you can consume

Try sharing meals that still retain their freshness but would be too much for you in terms of portion size. Offer treats to your family, friends or colleagues. Invite your family and friends to dinner and eat together. If you still have leftover food, you can research whether there are organizations that can accept these foods and distribute them to those in need. For example, Ajinomoto has projects such as soup distribution it has been running with Çorbada Tuzun Olsun Association since 2017 in Turkey, soup sponsorship by Çorbada Tuzun Olsun Association and food donation to Basic Needs Association (TİDER). These projects both facilitate reaching those in need and prevent waste, while developing social responsibility awareness.

Use food scraps in soup

Some parts of many foods that are considered leftovers can be used in different dishes. For example, when preparing broccoli or making salad, instead of cutting off and throwing away the stems, they can be cooked and used in broccoli soup. If it is not possible to use the leftover parts of the food, you can use them in composting. For those wondering "What is Compost?", here is a brief explanation. Compost is a dark, earthy, nutritious, rich material created when plant-based food scraps are biologically broken down by microorganisms, nourishing fertile soil. While compost is a more economical and organic option compared to fertilizer, it also provides great support to utilizing food scraps and preventing waste. On the other hand, if you want to make mixed vegetable soup but do not want to bear the cost burden of buying each food individually for economic reasons, you can find healthy and hygienic solutions. For example, Bizim Mutfak was the brand that introduced the Legume Soups product series to the market for the first time, enabling access to all these nutritious content in a single package instead of buying legumes and grains needed for soup making separately, and redefining the ready-made soup category from the ground up. By trying the "Superfoods" Soup Series of the Bizim Mutfak brand, which introduced Turkish consumers to the Superfoods trend, you can reach economical and healthy food while minimizing the likelihood of waste.

Use proper storage methods

Some foods should be stored in the refrigerator, others outside. Research the most correct methods to store the foods you buy and apply them. This way you will be able to use the foods you buy for a longer period and prevent waste.

First, consume the food you bought previously!

Always pay attention to best-by dates. Prioritize consuming foods you bought previously, so they will be consumed before spoiling and not thrown away. You can then safely consume the new products you buy.

Do not forget the facts about the global hunger crisis!

In the world, enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet. Yet approximately 829 million people across the globe go to bed hungry every night. Small farmers, herders and fishers provide approximately 70 percent of global food supply, yet they are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Conflict is both a cause and consequence of hunger. In fact, in 2020, conflicts were the main cause of hunger for 99.1 million people in 23 countries. An estimated 14 million children under age 5 worldwide face severe acute malnutrition as a result of waste. Only 25 percent of malnourished children have access to life-saving treatment.