Lost In The Shovel

2/27/11

Supermarkets worldwide proudly display their offerings of "fresh" fruits and vegetables.... carefully chosen for 'flawlessness" and often arranged in decorative arrays sorted by color. Before these items have reached the aisle, they were also chosen for their flawlessness first by the growers and again by the distributers. The "flaws" that result in rejection, as defined by minimum quality standards, some set by the retailers and often by both state and federal regulations, may be as minor as the size, shape or color of the piece of produce in question. The demand by the consumer for blemish-free food is one of the primary causes of food loss. It is the same with even non-perishable items. Whether swept from the floor of the factory or discovered by the retailer, tons of broken pieces of perfectly edible pasta find their way to the dumpster.

"A 2004 study showed that forty to fifty percent cent of all food ready for harvest in the United States never gets eaten."

Source: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Supply-Chain/Half-of-US-food-goes-to-waste
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Below are some quotes form a study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture. The link below will conduct you to the full report. This should be required reading in our schools. Read it. Pass it on!

"Americans spend a smaller share of their disposable income on food than citizens of any other country and choose from an average of 50,000 different food products on a typical outing to the supermarket. In 1994, the food supply provided an estimated 3,800 calories per person per day, enough to supply every American with more than one and a half times their average daily energy needs."

"91 billion pounds of food were lost by consumers and foodservice in 1995"

"Foodservice and consumer losses accounted for 26% of edible food supplies."

"Fresh fruits and vegetables accounted for nearly 20% of consumer and foodservice losses."

Source http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/FoodReview/Jan1997/Jan97a.pdf

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I have heard of a very simple and logical approach to weight loss. This diet suggests that one eat only two thirds of what is on one's plate.....  I like it. I know that it works for some.

However..... Give serious thought to the fate of the remaining third! 

Eat your greens!

Thanks again for reading feedbags.blogspot.com ...... pass it on!

Arthur