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Is that how you store food so you don't waste it?
Table of Contents
1. Causes of food waste
One-third of the world's food produced is thrown away every year, and there's no single definition of what food waste is.2. Loss of food
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) this means: which are related to the loss of mass during storage of the product and the decrease in the quality and nutritional value of food;, i.e. products that were intended for human consumption but were discarded for some reason, e.g. due to product spoilage or exceeding the shelf life. According to a study by D. Kołożyn-Krajewska and B. Bliska in 2019, up to 42% of Poles admit to discarding food.3. The effects of food waste
Food waste carries with it a number of negative consequences. These include not only the disposal of food, but also municipal waste and the loss of precious quantities of water and energy during its production.4. How can we reduce food waste?
In order to reduce food waste, it is very important to check the expiry date of the product which is on the packaging. It is best to buy products with a longer expiration date to make sure that the product will also be used on time. If the product is only purchased from the prepared list, you will not find any unnecessary food items at home that may not be used. When you shop, you must check the validity date of a product that is on your package. However, it's best to purchase products with longer expiry dates so that you can be sure that it will be used as well. If you buy the product on the same day, you can choose the one that has a date of availability for the finished product or not.5. The rules of food storage
Food should be stored in such a way as to preserve as long as possible its freshness, nutritional value, sensory quality and health. Improper storage leads to faster spoilage of products. Individual food products require different storage conditions. Attention should be paid to temperature, packaging, product distribution, hygiene conditions and storage time. Some products must be kept in the refrigerator, while others must be preserved at room temperature. It is important to maintain constant sensitivity in refrigerators and household appliances.6. Storing food in the fridge
Many products can be stored at room temperature, e.g. baked goods, flour, cereals, pasta, pasta products, spices, sugar, oils, certain concentrates or beverages. Products such as chicken, eggs, meat, fish must be kept in a refrigerator. Each part of the refrigerator has a different temperature, so the proper placement of the products inside the device is of great importance for their durability, organoleptic quality and health.7. Storing food in the freezer
Freezing is one of the best ways to extend the shelf life of food products. It allows you to maintain the proper quality for up to several months. Products can be frozen in special packaging. The temperature in the freezer should be low (−18°C) and kept at a constant level. This mainly depends on the temperature fluctuations, how long the frozen product will maintain high quality and nutritional value. Virtually any product that does not contain much water is suitable for freezing. Fruits are worth chopping, cutting into bones and freezing the packaged in strips.8. Ways to keep products fresh
Fruits and vegetables are still ripe after harvesting. They take oxygen and release fresh carbon dioxide and ethylene. Moreover, they undergo evaporation processes that result in a loss of moisture. To keep them fresh and of the best quality, they must be stored properly. Fruit and vegetable must be loosely arranged in such a way that the airflow between the apples is as fast as possible. The hardest thing to keep fresh vegetables fresh is to keep the leafy vegetable fresh.9. Kitchen with zero waste
The zero-waste movement is becoming more and more popular. It's about generating as little waste as possible. How do you do it? Just plan your daily menu so that the waste from one dish becomes the raw material for preparing another. Here are a few examples. A broccoli batch or a cauliflower can be used to make fresh vegetable juice.
