reduce food waste now – 8 steps to succeed it

You are currently viewing reduce food waste now – 8 steps to succeed it

reduce food waste now – 8 steps to succeed it

From the field to the shelf (Farm-to-Table and / or Farm-to-Fork), from the root to the flower (Root-to-Flower), from the nose or beak to the tail (Nose-to-Tail) whatever philosophy you follow…Food waste shall be your concern. Do not throw anything away (or at least before you make sure that you cannot eat it).

ROOT-TO-FLOWER and NOSE-TO-TAIL EATING
two gastronomic philosophies united
for the same common purpose, which is to make steps to reduce
food waste. #FoodWaste

According to a WWF (2018) worldwide survey, one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost (somewhere) or wasted (generally and indefinitely). The percentage of composted food leftovers is insignificant in relation to the global demand (Unfortunately, demand is not necessarily global consumption).

I think that if in every house there is even one person who cooks for himself two meals every day (morning and evening), around him there are so many others who cook or process food without having calculated a disaster plan in case not consumed.

For the needed shift in methodical food management, professional cooks are the people who will change the course of disaster. With the technical knowledge they have as well as the appropriate equipment they can adapt the recipes according to the materials at their disposal. Because professional cooks are the ones who know how to effectively manage the ingredients and who, due to their position, can train their team.

The basic thought

To reduce waste, they can order less and use more without “escaping” from their original style or way of thinking. Or can they break away from their original style? After all, even understanding and empathy are some of the potential sources of inspiration for innovation.

Beef bone broth with spinach roots, preserved in an ice box.

Yes! Even today, a professional cook can innovate by reducing food waste. Because food is a complex and multidimensional concept, with different and essential parameters and different philosophies around it (Traitler et. Al, 2018). It is not just fashion, it’s not just appearance.

From the primordial need to search for food which covered the feeling of hunger and the uninterrupted evolution of the human species to the present day, eating and cooking tactics have changed dramatically.

Waste management in cooking TV shows

Through TV shows, we watched the cooking skills of famous chefs such as Fanny Cradock, Julia Child and Jamie Oliver. But as the internet grows, lesser-known chefs appear on YouTube channels who continue to share their recipes and cooking style (Shane Jordan, 2018).

In the days of the pandemic, those of COVID-19 closure, even budding cooks, through Instagram stories or Facebook Live, gained fanatical followers with whom they shared cooking recipes.

Unanswered questions of an ethical nature

But what is their culinary style? The comfort food? Street food? A little of everything? And what do they want to achieve? To train the listeners in cooking. To cover their ego. Place products for advertising purposes?
Did anyone mention the damage done to the environment by the growing waste? How to effectively manage food or ideas to reduce the discarded? Did anyone explained how to make a broth with leftover roots and bones?

Sustainable cooking against food waste

We usually watch the spinning of a fish, but rarely (almost never) do we learn where the “junk” ends up. If someone throws them directly into the rubbish bin or if he converts them into a fish soup.
Cooking is not a glamorous show. It is much more than preparing a meal, cooking it and displaying it on a plate for everyone to admire. It is also “from where you bought the food” but also “what happened to the leftovers left over during the preparation of the food but also after it was presented. (Shane Jordan, 2018).
In recent years, with the rapid development of social media, consumers are immediately informed about environmental issues and become more aware. At the same time, food businesses have identified their interest in the “environmentally friendly” label, realizing that ethics are just as important as profit (Yahua et. Al, 2016).
Regarding the most famous, professional chefs, the leaders who influence a large culinary audience, the mention of sustainability and green economy issues as well as the application of basic principles of food waste reduction is now imperative (not optional) and yes! will be able to bring about a positive change.

Ethics are just as important as profit.

The reasoning is simple but essential and effective. Once it has been pruned, uprooted, slaughtered, fished or hunted, let it be utilized 100% or at least give as much useful information as it can offer, whether it is to reduce hunger, simple nutrition or enjoyment.

Eight steps to reduce food waste

8 ways to reduce waste were shown on IGTV by Charles X Michel https://charlesxmichel.com/, one of the most famous cooking teachers, food trainer and creator of innovative ideas.
• Buy less, prudently.
• Bought from local suppliers. You usually prevent the possible loss of food during the supply chain.
• He preferred bad fruits and vegetables.
• Plan. Put home economics back into his life (the one that the older ones used to learn in elementary school)
• Study your food. Get creative and use whole vegetables. Even their forgotten parts that you would throw away. From root to flower (Root-to-Flower)
• Ignorance and semi-learning. Bad does not mean that they are immune. Think beyond what the recipe says. Forget the waste. Freeze it, make the broth, add it to soups, pies and if you do not know what else to do, make sure for the composting. If it has passed its expiration date, try it before you throw it away. It will still be a safe food, most likely.
• Organize your fridge. Manage leftover food and mix it with others.
• Connect with the knowledge of the ancients and their instincts. The food is sacred!
• Watch the full video here:
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAGWOgIJbCd/?igshid=1uo8qa5mgokv5

ROOT-TO-FLOWER

The definition ROOT – TO – FLOWER refers to the consumption of the whole plant instead of throwing away the leaves.
It is a phrase coined by a wholesaler named Vernon Mascarenhas, who works for a catering company. It has taken decades to encourage growers and chefs to develop a holistic view of the ingredients – using parts of the plant that often end up in the bin without a second thought.
“Most plants are edible. What we usually do is taking their middle ground and throwing away the rest, says Mascarenhas. “For example, we use cucumber flowers as a garnish, they are incredibly beautiful. I first discovered them in our greenhouse when I noticed that the farmer simply picks up these small cucumber flowers and throws them on the ground as waste.
“I immediately started putting them in special packages and the first restaurant that got them was Nobu in Park Lane – they have been launched ever since. “Now some farmers grow cucumbers just to get their flowers,” he told the Telegraph.

NOSE-TO-TAIL

“If you eat dairy products, fish and / or meat, choose the best quality and reduce consumption. Organize an essentially enjoyable meal once a week, choosing and supporting producers of organic, regenerative agriculture and circular economy “, continues Charles Michel, giving a substantial passage to the NOSE-TO-TAIL philosophy.

Fergus Henderson (1995) caused a sensation on the world gastronomic scene when he opened the St. John restaurant in London. With a trademark of an entire pig, if nothing else, the cooking of meat is immediately apparent. His dishes go far beyond a typical restaurant portion. In addition to first-class cuts, fillets and ribs, Fergus Henderson created exciting dishes, utilizing the (until recently) “second” parts of the animal such as entrails, minds, intestines, all deliciously cooked and elaborate served. In 1999 he published the first edition of the book “Nose to Tail Eating: A Kind of British Cooking”.
Since then, the phrase NOSE-to-TAIL, heard by chefs, defines an entire cooking philosophy that includes using each part of an animal so that nothing is lost, thus minimizing waste.

Our ancestors never wasted as much as we did, and no part of the animal considered to be more important than the other. They used the whole animal (even the wild one), even ignoring the term “Nose-to-Tail.” People began to breed knowing what the animal eats and did not hesitate to use it.

“If you manage the amount of kitchen waste properly, you will automatically reduce costs significantly – Which restaurant does not want to succeed?” comments Winnow chef and waste management, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Winnow won first prize in the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards waste management category. 2016

bibliography

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Gianna Balafouti

Η Γιάννα γεννήθηκε στην Αθήνα, σπούδασε γραφιστική επικοινωνία και έχει πιστοποίηση στην εκπαίδευση ενηλίκων. Εργάστηκε 12 χρόνια στο ψηφιακό μάρκετινγκ και δραστηριοποιήθηκε επαγγελματικά στην παραγωγή καινοτόμων εδεσμάτων για 11 χρόνια. Είναι εκπαιδεύτρια γαστρονομίας και διδάσκει μαγειρική ιδέα και ανάπτυξη προϊόντος. Ο κόσμος της κινείται συνεχώς γύρω από τη μονάκριβη Νεφέλη.