Stop Food Waste

In developed countries each inhabitant throws 5 to 10 kgs per year of unopened packaged products, which is causing huge food waste in the world, especially the West. In addition there are products such as stale bread, leftover dishes and spoiled fruits and vegetables, representing 20 kg per capita and per year thrown in the trash.

This is a frightening quantity for waste of food, but also money. In fact not only will these foods first cost to buy, but they will also cost the community to dispose of them if they are thrown away, and will ultimately be useless. As waste disposal services do not come free, this is a burden to the community and we should all learn how to reduce the food waste we all create.

A guide to good practice has been produced by the government in collaboration with restaurant owners who participated in the operation restaurants committed against food waste and shared their experience by listng their tips and tricks against food waste.

Tips for better food storage

  • Salads, cabbage, leafy vegetables: wrap them in paper towels to absorb the moisture.
  • Carrots: bury them lightly in sand for longer than normal conservation
  • Onions: stored in hanging tights, they can be kept for up to 8 months. Just slide them in and tie a knot between each bulb to separate them.
  • Tomatoes: store them at room temperature in a bowl covered with paper towel, with the stems facing up and especially not in the refrigerator!
  • Potatoes: storing them in a dark place with two apples will slow the appearance of germs.
  • Mushrooms: wrap them in newspaper and put them in the fridge.
  • In order to slow down the ripening of the fruit, a cork cut in half must be placed inside the fruit basket. The cap will act as a repellant for midges and a moisture absorber.
  • Open fruits and vegetables: sprinkle with the juice of ½ a lemon, so that they do not oxidize. Thus, they can be kept for a few additional days.
  • Apples: store them in a slightly damp and cool environment to keep them for six months without any problem. The bottom drawer of the refrigerator does the job very well. Just be careful to sort them well and check from time to time to remove apples that are spoiled and that could “contaminate” others.
  • Red fruits: to eradicate molds as soon as they appear, wash them in a bowl in which you will have previously poured one portion of vinegar for ten portions of water. Then put them in the refrigerator.
  • Pineapple: first cut the leafy part. Place your pineapple upside down to keep it fresh longer.
  • Condiments: once opened, keep them in the refrigerator and not in a cupboard to avoid oxidation.
  • Fresh cream: transfer it to an airtight container to keep it for a month.
  • Bread:
    – Pack it in a paper bag or tea towel and avoid the plastic which softens the bread and promotes mold, unless it is stored in the refrigerator.
    – Freeze it to keep it longer.
    – Do not cut it in advance otherwise it will harden faster.

Give a facelift

  • Withered salads, softened carrots, stunted celery: sugar is the flagship food. Dip in cold water with a tablespoon of sugar for salad and celery, and in cooking water with the same amount of sugar for carrots.
  • Slight vegetables: when they start to become soft, they must be cut, washed and left to soak in water in the fridge overnight. They will find their crunch.
  • Hard bread: to eat it immediately, moisten it and place it for a few seconds in the microwave or place it in the oven until it recovers its crust.
  • Wrinkled potatoes: sprinkle them with boiling water or soak them for a moment.

At the restaurant

  • Avoid having eyes bigger than your stomach and order according to appetite and not desires.
  • Ask to take away what is not consumed so as not to waste. For this, provide containers to go to the restaurant unless it offers a doggy bag.
  • Accept that my restaurant owner no longer has my favorite dish because he has a limited stock to avoid wasting too much.