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Monday, March 8, 2010

FOOD WASTAGE AND INSTITUTIONAL FEEDING

Wasting food is inexcusable in a world where half the population live on subsistence food. Affluent families do not exercise adequate control over the quantity of foods cooked every day as the servants are not sensitive to economic loss incurred due to wastage. Early training of children to respect food and to eat what is needed without wastage can go a long way in making good citizens of future with empathy and sympathy for fellow humans. Compared to the East, people and institutions in the West waste more food, being able to afford such profligacy due to their wealth. A recent report from Scotland gives an idea of the value of food wasted by some public institutions funded by the citizens.

"Hospitals in Scotland have thrown away a £6 million mountain of food in the last two years. Averaging £3 million a year; NHS Boards in Scotland are literally throwing money down the drain as they waste hundreds of thousands of meals a year. The 14 health boards throw out over 400,000 meals between them annually. But the figure could be much more – with only five boards able to provide accurate numbers to FOI investigators. The Taxpayer's Alliance have branded the amounts "disturbing" and said that whilst some waste is expected, hospitals should do everything they can to reduce the amounts or recycle food that isn't used".

In one of the estimates by an international agency, the food wasted by the British population in an year is more than sufficient to meet the one-day needs of half the global population! The food banks which operate in many countries are intended to salvage such foods for the benefit of those who are starved of food. But having eaten part of a meal and wasting the remaining portion cannot be excused as the left overs can neither be salvaged nor served to others. Probably training to eat the iright food in quality and quantity must begin at home and should be a part of the early education system.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

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