Greetings from sunny California!
I’ve seen so much food recovery in the last 48 hours that I’m under the impression there’s no food waste in the Golden State. I know I sure didn’t waste anything I ordered at In-N-Out Burger.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of volunteering with Senior Gleaners, Inc., of Sacramento. I went out with […]

As a (relatively) young man, I’m following that storied piece of advice by going West. I’ll be in California for the rest of the week doing wasted food research.
There, I’ll meet the Davis scientist who developed the anaerobic digester that produces electricity from food waste. I’ll also get to see that digester up close. In addition, I’ll tour Salinas Valley […]

Specialty breads are the most frequently wasted baked goods. We’re talking about hamburger and hot dog buns, mostly.
When planning a barbecue, it’s hard to know how many packages to buy and, often, we get too many for fear of running out. Then you don’t cook all the meat or people aren’t eating carbs, etc. For a variety of reasons, you’re […]

This article in India’s The Hindu ponders which is a better use for food waste: composting or energy creation. Before reading, I would have said energy creation. Now, I’m not so sure.
I don’t know about you, but I think this is a polite way of saying the West wastes some high quality food:  
The bio-degradable waste […]

Yesterday we talked about how the desire for flawless produce leads to much waste. Pushing the issue further, who’s to blame for this desire?
While Wayne Roberts’ article impugned food magazines, I’d also blame most supermarkets, especially Whole Foods. Most retailers make a point of having bountiful, beautiful displays. Doing so means throwing out imperfect, nonuniform produce.
As Whole […]

Wayne Roberts, a Toronto journalist and occasional farmer has written a fascinating article in the current issue of Canadian publication NOW on how glossy magazines instill a desire for perfect looking produce. This causes unrealistic expecatations, and ultimately, waste.
…most of the food we toss, perhaps one-fifth of the harvest, is wasted simply because it disappoints visual expectations […]

At the beginning of each week, I try to give readers one tip on how to avoid food waste. This week’s advice: If you don’t like eating leftovers, don’t order an appetizer and an entrée. 
Take a look at the nutritional information from Chili’s or the Macaroni Grill. Feel like some pasta and meatballs? Here’s 2,400 calories, or […]