The 2019 hunger index ranked India 102 out of 117 qualifying countries. India scored 30.3 which means India suffers from a serious hunger problem. According to UN estimates 40% of all food produced in India is either lost or wasted. 69% of all deaths of children under the age of five is caused by malnutrition.
Finish what on your plate, there are people dying of hunger in our country because they don’t get one nourishing square meal a day! Those are the spoken words of my mother that I got to hear when I was a child trying hard to finish what’s on plate at the dinner table.
I can keep stating facts that any one of you can verify by doing a simple search on google. Better, to get a full visual and emotional impact of how grave this problem is, you can choose to visit one of the many urban slums or take a drive to poorer parts of rural India to experience the state of affairs first hand.
Food is wasted in numerous ways, some of which is not directly under our control, but some definitely is. Here are some of the ways in which households and individuals can drastically reduce the amount of food they waste.
Food Discrimination: Yes, food discrimination is real and it’s a consumer driven problem. The demand for perfect looking fruits and vegetables from consumers is a major cause as to why supermarkets & neighborhood stores reject produce with slight deformities or blemishes, even though the produce is perfect for consumption. This is what we call the Halo effect, which is a form of cognitive bias. He is handsome, hence he must be smart, she is beautiful thus she must be super confident, this Apple has blemishes on it, hence it is not fit for consumption.
As consumers we need to start making educated decisions by consciously bypassing this cognitive bias of ours and remember that the produce is being bought for consumption (unless you have other plans) and a few blemishes, some deformities will not make it any less nourishing than perfect looking produce. In fact, in many cases over ripe fruits are better for your health as is the case with Bananas. You must also be aware that many fruits and vegetables being sold in the market that look perfect have been made to do so through coercive and harmful means. An apt example of such a practice is polishing apples, colouring strawberries & dipping ginger in acid too remove blemishes. Not much different than photo shopping your picture.
Planned Obsolescence: The definition of planned obsolescence is “In economics and industrial design, planned obsolescence is a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so that it becomes obsolete after a certain period of time.” This is evident specially in electronic goods like TV’s, cell phones, computers and is also rampant in the fashion industry as evident with ever changing styles and the massive growth of fast fashion at large. But the same concept is also applicable to the packaged food industry. Best before dates are really meant to tell you when the food tastes best, not when it will go bad. Baby food is the only product where you need to pay attention to expiry dates. Here is a list of food products that you can consume post their expiry dates as long as you follow the following precautions:
1. Cake mix: Can be used four to five months post expiry dates as long as you store it in a cool and dry place.
2. Milk: Can last fifty percent longer than the date of expiry mentioned on the packet or carton if it is stored at a colder temperature at the back of the fridge, as compared to the front where the door is constantly opened and closed. If it’s pasteurized it can last even longer. As long as it does not smell, it’s good to consume.
3. Honey: The look of honey may change over time, but it does not really spoil. Store honey in its original jar or bottle and do not store it in a dark place or pantry. If it crystallises, just run it under some hot water or put in a bowl of hot water and it will take its original form and colour.
4. Canned goods: Food packaged in cans generally have a shelf like of about three years, but can be consumed for up to four years post the expiry date. Store canned goods in a cool dry spot. If you see dents, leakage or rusting it’s time to get dispose them.
5. Hard Cheese: Cheddar and parmesan is good to consume almost a month past its expiry date. If you see mould forming on part of the cheese, simply cut it out and use the good portion
6. Eggs: Expiry dates on the egg cartons don’t always reveal the truth and most of us end up denying ourselves a perfectly edible omelette! Here how you check if the egg can still be consumed without cracking it open. Simply place it in bowl of water to check it buoyancy. If it sinks, it’s still good to eat and if it floats chuck it in your composter.
7. Bread: The expiry date mentioned on breads is assuming that you are storing it on your counter. This date can be extended by upwards of two weeks by storing it in your fridge or freezer. As long as you don’t see mould growing on it’s safe to consume.
8. Butter: The best before date on butter is applicable once you have thawed it. Want to make your butter last longer, simple keep it in your freezer.
9. Yogurt: If unopened, yogurt is safe to eat up to one week past its expiry date if stored in your fridge soon after purchasing it. Yogurt can also be frozen for upwards of two months. Excess water on the top and curdling at the bottom means that the yogurt is past its prime and it’s time to dispose of it.
10. Dry Pasta: Generally has a shelf like of two years, but can easily be consumed one year post its expiry date.
11. Frozen Food: frozen fruits & vegetables are good to consume past their expiry date. They might get freezer burn and may not be as good tasting, but they are good to consume.
12. Cookies crackers & chips: These items may taste stale, but as long as they don’t smell funny they are good to consume. For cookies as long as they don’t smell funny, are kept in air tight containers and don’t crumble in your hands easily, they can still be consumed. Make sure that they don’t smell funny!
13. Chocolate: Can last up wards of eight months post its expiry date depending on how it’s been stored. Store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge or you can store it in your freezer in an air tight container for almost two years. Fat or sugar bloom, the spotty look on your chocolate is not mould, the chocolate can still be consumed (may not taste as good) or used for baking.
14. Ketchup & Mustard: Unopened ketchup can be consumed up to one year past it’s date of expiry and once opened if stored in the fridge can be consumed within six months. Mustard on the other hand can be stored for two years up Un opened past its expiry date or one year past its expiry date if open and stored in the fridge.
15. Cereal: Cereal is ok to consume almost six months post its expiry date, as long as you are ok with consume stale tasting cereal and put your sustainability commitment to test.
The important thing to remember here is that composting is the last option, only to be utilised to recycle post-consumer food waste. The goal should be to reduce wastage through a process of informed consumption and purchase decision making. Hopefully this article has shed light on how planned obsolesce and food discrimination are a major cause of food wastage and individual choices that you can make today for a better tomorrow.
Here are some great resources to learn more about this subject:
1. Food Network
Will meet you again via your Inbox next week, until then have a fabulously sustainable and happy weekend!