About Food Network's 'The Big Waste'

Did you get to see Food Networks' special, The Big Waste? It's all about the epidemic of food waste in America, and it was very eye-opening. Four of Food Networks' top chefs teamed up to create a gourmet meal for over 100 people. The meal had to be made completely with food headed for the trash - items grocers were throwing out because they were close to their 'best by' date, produce that was passed over for slight blemishes and meats that were unwanted because of small flaws.

There was a recurring theme on the show that echoed throughout the internet. Americans need to stop being so picky! We're wasting tons, literally tons, of food because we've trained ourselves to expect nothing less than perfection. When an apple has a slight nick we dig deeper in the pile for a perfect one. Herbs are starting to wilt, so we toss them in the trash instead of freezing of drying them. It really is criminal. Especially when you think of those starving in our very own country!

But.

There's always a but.

Please forgive me. I don't mean to sound like the spoiled American.

While I wholeheartedly agree with the above sentiment, it's completely true, I think there is another side to this story.

Have you seen the grocery prices in this country??
While so many Americans income is going down, being cut in half, or disappearing completely, the grocery prices keep rising. Many families can barely afford to eat.

Do you know how much I'm spending each week?
We have a family of 6 - three of which are teens who eat constantly. I have taken up couponing to save money because we were spending $250-$300 a week in groceries. Yes, that's $1000+ a month just in groceries. And I buy generic!

Call me spoiled, but if it's expensive I expect it to be good.
I'm sorry, but if I'm going to pay an arm and a leg for a pound of produce I expect it to be in good shape. I don't want to pay outrageous prices for fruit that will spoil two days after I take it home.

There's a little bit of fear in our reasoning.
While we do need to accept peaches that look less than perfect, the providers need to understand that as consumers, we're a little worried when things look "off". Weird things have been happening. When I was a kid you only heard of food poisoning in spoiled meat and dairy. Now we have listeria in cantaloupes, e coli in lettuce and salmonella in peanut butter. And we're not just talking about a weekend spent running to the bathroom, people have died.

Don't tell me waste isn't factored into the cost.
I realize the huge (HUGE) amount of waste is hurting our farmers, especially the small mom and pop farms. But with any business there is waste, and good business means planning for that and factoring it into the cost. I do see it's an unending cycle, high prices means more waste, more waste means higher prices - but it's not just the consumer's fault.

What about everyone else's role?
As I said, we must retrain our brains to stop this epidemic of waste - there really is no excuse for it. But what about everyone else? We need to work together to fix it. What about the grocers who could arrange a weekly delivery to local food banks? Why don't companies partner to decrease waste? Those chickens the butcher know won't sell because he nicked the skin could be bought at a lesser price by factories that produce chicken broth. What about a seconds section in the grocery store for lesser priced, not as pretty produce? I'd shop in that section! But if I have a choice between perfect tomatoes or bruised ones for the same astronomical price, I'm taking the perfect ones.

Yes, I noticed.
On the show, did you notice how those "less than perfect chickens" that no one would buy were all iced down and waiting in coolers? My guess is that was for the show. Under any other circumstances, I think those chickens would be tossed straight in the trash. Why? Because it costs money and overhead space to store those undesirable chickens! And business isn't going to pay to store what is essentially trash.

I understand.
To answer my above question, grocers don't deliver to their local food bank because they'd have to pay the delivery person, have a truck and pay for fuel. It all comes down to money - I understand that! It makes sense why they can't or won't do it. But that brings me back to the point of this whole post.

It's not just the consumers fault. There are lots of things we could all be doing, patrons and business alike, to solve this waste epidemic. I'll start. Next time, I won't pass on that slightly blemished lettuce.

What are you going to do to help?