Thank you for this information! I just sent a fax to my congressman and have forwarded this email to all of my friends/colleagues to do so as well. I have had several experiences where I was forced to throw out perfectly good fresh meat and produce because I could not find a food bank, church etc., to accept perishables and when I contacted representatives to ask their clients to meet with me for the food they stated privacy issues. The food waste is simply ridiculous!
The #hospitalityindustry in which I work long ago through our MPI chapter partnered with DC Central Kitchen to buy their first vans. THIS effort is bigger and wonderful and should involve all of the #EventsIndustryCouncil organizations. I've tweeted and tagged some. The co., @MeetGreen, has been at the forefront of #foodsustainability for the industry. Let's get this done!
Love your writing! Interesting topic also and agree with the other comments about how much food is wasted!! I am passionate about social connection, food can be a great medium for that also.
Gracias José for all the work you do for the whole world!
One of the reasons many people in the US throw away so much food is the Sell By Dates on most packages and even cans.
This is not federally regulated and therefore confusing.
These dates have nothing to do with food safety - - - the one exception being Infant Formula.
* Sell by date means: Tells the store how long to display the product and is for inventory purposes, not safety.
* Best By or Best Before date means: When the product will have the best flavour or quality, not a purchase or safety date.
* Use by means: Date recommended for use of the product for peak quality, not a safety date - - - with the exception if Infant Formula.
* Freeze By date means: When the product should be frozen to maintain peak quality, not a safety date.
I have read several articles on this recently and I am quoting the information above from the US Public Interest Research Group.
Of course we all have to use our senses, in that when using food that has an expiration date, we need to see if it smells and looks good, and if there is any evidence of rot or mould then we do need to throw it away or put in in a compost (fruits and vegetables only).
Robert is a pioneer and such an awesome person. You have taken the baton in this relay race and ran strong. We're all so proud that the two of you are so heroic in your efforts and grateful with full hearts.
Another source of waste is how food is packaged. Many Americans live alone, we need smaller sizes. For example, a loaf of bread. Now while a few supermarkets do sell half loafs of bread in one or two types, they should sell more and that requires the cooperation of commercial bakeries. Why can't we buy a half loaf of Arnold or Pepperidge Farm? Or why not a half package of hamburger or hot dog buns? It seems like a lot of food items sold in supermarkets are packaged and priced for large families with extra freezer space. That's great for them, but what about singles living in small apartments in cities like NYC or Washington? Don't let food producers and supermarkets off of the hook for waste.
What great news! Many, many years ago at one of the slew of restaurants I used to work at I tried to give away our leftovers to the church next door who fed the hungry. I was told we couldn't give away the food because it was a liability. It was so frustrating seeing all that food go down the disposal. I had a really cool manager and while he was there I used to sneak the leftovers out and give it to the church. I say "sneak" but my manager knew exactly what I was doing and turned a blind eye.
It is ridiculous the amount of food that is wasted!
Thank you for this information! I just sent a fax to my congressman and have forwarded this email to all of my friends/colleagues to do so as well. I have had several experiences where I was forced to throw out perfectly good fresh meat and produce because I could not find a food bank, church etc., to accept perishables and when I contacted representatives to ask their clients to meet with me for the food they stated privacy issues. The food waste is simply ridiculous!
The #hospitalityindustry in which I work long ago through our MPI chapter partnered with DC Central Kitchen to buy their first vans. THIS effort is bigger and wonderful and should involve all of the #EventsIndustryCouncil organizations. I've tweeted and tagged some. The co., @MeetGreen, has been at the forefront of #foodsustainability for the industry. Let's get this done!
Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention, José Andrés. There is no excuse for families to go hungry in this nation.
Love your writing! Interesting topic also and agree with the other comments about how much food is wasted!! I am passionate about social connection, food can be a great medium for that also.
So happy Jim is our local representative in sweet Western MA!
Gracias José for all the work you do for the whole world!
One of the reasons many people in the US throw away so much food is the Sell By Dates on most packages and even cans.
This is not federally regulated and therefore confusing.
These dates have nothing to do with food safety - - - the one exception being Infant Formula.
* Sell by date means: Tells the store how long to display the product and is for inventory purposes, not safety.
* Best By or Best Before date means: When the product will have the best flavour or quality, not a purchase or safety date.
* Use by means: Date recommended for use of the product for peak quality, not a safety date - - - with the exception if Infant Formula.
* Freeze By date means: When the product should be frozen to maintain peak quality, not a safety date.
I have read several articles on this recently and I am quoting the information above from the US Public Interest Research Group.
Of course we all have to use our senses, in that when using food that has an expiration date, we need to see if it smells and looks good, and if there is any evidence of rot or mould then we do need to throw it away or put in in a compost (fruits and vegetables only).
I am a big supporter of this bill. I've written to my congresspeople about this and encouraged them to fight for it!
Thank you Chef.
Robert is a pioneer and such an awesome person. You have taken the baton in this relay race and ran strong. We're all so proud that the two of you are so heroic in your efforts and grateful with full hearts.
Another source of waste is how food is packaged. Many Americans live alone, we need smaller sizes. For example, a loaf of bread. Now while a few supermarkets do sell half loafs of bread in one or two types, they should sell more and that requires the cooperation of commercial bakeries. Why can't we buy a half loaf of Arnold or Pepperidge Farm? Or why not a half package of hamburger or hot dog buns? It seems like a lot of food items sold in supermarkets are packaged and priced for large families with extra freezer space. That's great for them, but what about singles living in small apartments in cities like NYC or Washington? Don't let food producers and supermarkets off of the hook for waste.
What great news! Many, many years ago at one of the slew of restaurants I used to work at I tried to give away our leftovers to the church next door who fed the hungry. I was told we couldn't give away the food because it was a liability. It was so frustrating seeing all that food go down the disposal. I had a really cool manager and while he was there I used to sneak the leftovers out and give it to the church. I say "sneak" but my manager knew exactly what I was doing and turned a blind eye.
Thanks Jose and Congressman McGovern. I'll share with some friends in Central Arkansas who do great work around the issue of hunger and food waste.