REPORT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS

In a report published in Waste Management World majority of food waste generated throughout the world ends up in landfill. Food waste decomposing there generates methane.For developed countries this is estimated to be 25 % to 40 %. In USA it is almost 50 %.

According to the University of Arizona the reson behind this is pretty much strange.

Food although edible are dumped by supermarkets each year because they do not look as good as the customers want them to.This totals to a whooping $ 30 billion dollar!

Cosmetically challenged fruit and vegetable that end up in dumping grounds are estimated to be over 30 % in North America . This happens even before they have hit the shelves in supermarkets. Not far behind is the UK where about one-third of food bought is thrown away. Sweden seemingly throws aay around a quarter of its purchased food.The pattern in a number of European countries is shockingly the same.

In an earlier report based on the study conducted by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) top analyse food waste management by over 2000 households indicate that people on an average throw away 3.6m tonnes of food each year in England and Wales.

The WRAP found that salad, fruit and bread were most commonly wasted and 60% of all dumped food was untouched.

The findings were shocking at a time of global food shortages. In fact it is an environmental issue.All this food would have ended up being eaten had they been stored or managed in a better manner.

In fact the WRAP study investigates resons for food wastage . Topping the list are food left uneaten on plate after a meal (1,225,700 tonnes worth 3.3 billion pounds), passed its date (808000 tonnes worth 2.2 billion pounds) and looked , smelt or tasted bad ( 750,500 tonnes worth 1.8 billion pounds).
It seems we are yet to wake up to the climate change costs to all of us of in growing, processing, packaging, transporting, and refrigerating this food .