Did you watch “Great British Waste Menu” on BBC this week ?
Four top chefs produced a stunning banquet – but their ingredients were all goods which would otherwise have been thrown away. By the producers [“the supermarkets won’t buy these courgettes, as they do not fit into the acceptable size range” “they won’t take this offal, the public won’t buy it” “these eggs are all too small to be sold”] and by the supermarkets [“these loaves are past their sell by date, so we have to bin them”]
There was nothing ‘nutritionally’ wrong with the food [they had a scientist check it out to see it was safe and edible] – just too small, too ‘strange’, or too ‘old’.
I can imagine that older people, who remember wartime rationing, would have been utterly horrified by what they saw on the programme.
In a month when we have watched news reports from the flood-devastated country of Pakistan, I find it utterly distressing that tons [imperial units here, as tons are heavier than tonnes!] of food is wasted like this. It is so utterly unnecessary, and it is WRONG.
I was very impressed with the guy on the programme from Fareshare
Check out their website and watch their video. They have a branch here in Leicester, working in partnership with the Diocese and about a dozen other outlets throughout the country.
In the book of James we read
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead
Yes it is important that we should try to avoid food waste on a small scale, daily, in our kitchens at home - but it is also important that our Government does not just encourage us to be less wasteful at home, but also works to decrease the phenomenal amount of waste which happens before the ordinary consumer even gets into the store – and also that food which is edible but unsaleable is somehow passed on to those who cannot afford to buy it, but need to eat it.
I was horrified by this programme. My own food bill has increased and I thought I was managing badly until I read the reports re food prices etc - and then I was worrying about families who used to be in my care worrying how on earth they would be managing and then I saw all this waste.
ReplyDeleteAnd then of course there is the even bigger world wide picture - will be visiting the web site .
Totally agree with you. Should we throw away our own garden produce because it is 'too samll, too misshapen etc??' I have some very odd shaped tomatoes which would never reach a supermarket shelf, but perfectly edible.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me cross to think that a small egg is of no value, when I am of an age that remembers eggs stored in waterglass (dont ask).
Waste is wicked. We all try very hard not to be wasteful, but governments seem to encourage it.
ReplyDeleteJane
I've seen such good examples of food being shared with those in need - a fussy old man in our last church turned out to be a regular volunteer at a 'soup kitchen', and used to take leftovers from church meals to that kitchen - it really made me recognise him as a St James Christian, not a Pharisee, as I'm afraid I'd done before...
ReplyDeleteAnd I know about waterglass, Elizabethd. How???
I'm having a problem with wasting bread this holidays. We're pretty obsessive about not wasting stuff, but fresh French bread has to be eaten on the day and now that I have a freezer-full of breadcrumbs, croutons and bread puddings, I have resorted to composting some stale bread. Thanks for the reminder.
I loved this prgramme and I am becoming pretty good at using up all the food I buy, plus I menu plan a nd buy less, but them when money is tight you do what you can. I am sure big supermarkets where you get everything dont help. they make you forget that food is such a scarse resorce for lots of people
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