The food wasted by Americans could feed 84% of the world population
A study made by the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland shows that the food wasted each year by Americans could provide a 2,000 calorie diet for 84 percent of the world population.
According to the study, Americans throw away 31% to 40% of the food they buy every year, and the explanation can be traced to decades of marketing practice by the food-chains.
”Wasted food is a very serious issue at this point. We’re throwing away so much money and so many resources and so much potential nutrients that can make our lives better”, said doctor Roni Neff, lead author of the study.
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She says that part of the problem is that Americans don’t know when food is unsafe to eat and have a tendency to throw away food that looks as if it has gone bad, even if it hasn’t.
The professor says that the strategy adopted by grocery stores – showing only the freshest looking foods on shelves, creates the illusion that food that doesn’t look the same is bad.
”One of the biggest things is just really being aware of it. Although only a portion of discarded food can realistically be made available for human consumption, efforts to redistribute surplus foods where appropriate and prevent food waste in the first place could increase the availability
of nutrients for Americans, while saving money and natural resources,” Neff said.
The results of the study reveal a stark reality, as other data, conducted by hunger relief organisation Feeding America show that 42 million Americans live in homes without sufficient access to food.
A national goal to cut food waste by 50 percent by 2030 was set by the US government.
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