I heard this on Science Show with Robin Williams, one of my favorite podcasts: Cutting down on food waste - The Science Show - ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) PhD student, Elisha Vlaholias is researching ways to reduce the tremendous amount of food that is wasted around the world. I also hate to see food waste -- I hate to see anything wasted! I think that methods to extend shelf life would help reduce waste. I thought electron beam sterilization would have been the panacea, but there was too much public backlash. Newer types of package might help along with more intelligent sizes of packages. I also think that using internet for more "just in time" ordering of food would help. That way only the amount ordered would be provided. Currently we buy larger sizes than we need in order to get lower "per unit" prices, and then end up wasting that food. One of my personal pet peeves is the "expiration date" on packages. I posted a comment on the Australia Radio National website for this podcast as follows:
Elisha,
I applaud your efforts! I believe you are onto something serious when you discuss the "expiration date." When expiration dates were first proposed, the industries fought against it. Now it helps them sell more! I believe you could save a tremendous amount of food from being wasted if you could propose, and demonstrate the effectiveness (through research with consumers) of a new set of guidelines for expiration. There needs to be multiple dates, or one date with defined periods that would indicate: "sell by" "for best quality use by" and "danger, do not use beyond this date" -- For good reason, manufacturers would not like their "brand" sullied by someone who uses a product beyond a date after which the food may not taste as good as the manufacturer wants. However the food is not "poison" --and will not hurt a person if they eat it. However there probably is a date beyond which food could cause sickness. If for example the label would say" sell by June 1, 2015, Use within 60 days beyond, do not use 180 days beyond, I think it would cut down on a lot of waste!
Good luck with your investigation!
Elisha,
I applaud your efforts! I believe you are onto something serious when you discuss the "expiration date." When expiration dates were first proposed, the industries fought against it. Now it helps them sell more! I believe you could save a tremendous amount of food from being wasted if you could propose, and demonstrate the effectiveness (through research with consumers) of a new set of guidelines for expiration. There needs to be multiple dates, or one date with defined periods that would indicate: "sell by" "for best quality use by" and "danger, do not use beyond this date" -- For good reason, manufacturers would not like their "brand" sullied by someone who uses a product beyond a date after which the food may not taste as good as the manufacturer wants. However the food is not "poison" --and will not hurt a person if they eat it. However there probably is a date beyond which food could cause sickness. If for example the label would say" sell by June 1, 2015, Use within 60 days beyond, do not use 180 days beyond, I think it would cut down on a lot of waste!
Good luck with your investigation!
