While the prices of many foods are rising, you can’t say that about some edibles. This graphic shows some traditional barbecue items have decreased in the last ten years (after adjusting for inflation).
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Here’s a neat web segment (and accompanying blog post) in which a restaurant owner explains why she composts. Oh Portland, you’re so [...]

In breaking news from the home front, I recently had some cheddar go moldy. I know–stop the presses!!
My wife and I were away for the long weekend, providing ample opportunity for our yellow cheese to sprout white mold. Not one to give up easily on food, I decided to do some trimming.
When I’m on my [...]

Last week, I wrote about a food waste weighing week at Virginia Tech created and implemented by Andy Sarjahani, a soon-to-be registered dietitian.
Sarjahani (that’s him pictured below) and other student volunteers weighed the waste from each meal during a week with trays and a week without. After comparing the numbers, they found that removing the [...]

You down with OPP? (other people’s pantries)
Each Saturday, the Perfect Pantry blog satisfies our voyeurism by displaying photos from readers’ pantries. While the pantries vary quite a bit, the photos bring up this point: Cluttered pantries lead to waste. Chances are, if you can’t see something, you won’t use it before it goes bad.
A few other ideas gleaned [...]

This just in from the Not In My Backyard Our Park Department: A British Columbia business association requested that a church stop handing out food donations in a park because it was attracting too many “indigent people.” I guess the association won’t go for this plan, then.
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Food waste and water loss are linked. The [...]

You know how they say ‘He’s got a face for radio?’ Well, I think I may have a voice for blogging.
Anyway, here I am being interviewed by Tara Parker-Pope in a NY Times “Well” blog podcast.

Why remove trays from “all-you-can-eat” cafeterias? To avoid the routine piles of food waste.
In April, a student-led campaign at Virginia Tech weighed food waste for a week as a baseline for comparison to a week without trays. What they found, might startle you. Have a look. (Photos courtesy of VT Dietetic Intern Andy Sarjahani, the [...]

27 percent. 96 billion pounds.
Those are the numbers most often associated with food waste. What frustrates me is that they’re 13 years old. Those statistics come from this 1997 study, which uses 1995 figures. Hence, the data is ready for its Bar Mitzvah!
There are a few other limitations of the study, which I’ve been railing [...]

Apologies in advance for the self-indulgence, but Monday was a big day here at Wasted Food. (Welcome, new readers!)
First, the “Alpha Consumer” blog over at US News & World Report ran my guest post. Hopefully, it provides some useful advice for avoiding food waste.
Then, The NY Times “Well” blog wrote a little somethin’ about this [...]

Yesterday’s Times article has prompted some spirited discussion in this Boing Boing forum, which is wonderful. And healthy.
I contemplated commenting in that forum, but had waaay too much to say. Instead, I’ve compiled some of my reactions to the comments here, with reference to the order of their appearance in the thread:
(19) People really want [...]