11 billion euros in food are thrown away every year in Spain Imagine the following scene: It's in the supermarket buying and saving, rather than put food in bags, the strip directly to a cube garbage. It sounds ridiculous, but it is what happens daily in European households. On average, we throw about 20% of the food we buy. In Spain, 2.9 million tons of wasted food a year, 250 euros per person. Much of the food we throw away could have been consumed and enjoyed by better planning, storage and conservation. Albal and the international humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger awareness among citizens want to assist, through practical advice and smart solutions to reduce food waste.
Our attitude towards food has changed dramatically since the days of our grandparents. Before, everybody was opposed to waste any food and over the years, factors such as lower prices and the growth of fast food restaurants have contributed to the culture of the shoot. Currently, the majority attitude about food seems to be much more carefree, to the extent that you do not know what to do with the leftovers are thrown away. Numbers
worrying about food waste Europe
A recent survey by Albal in seven European countries reveals that:
• More than 20% of food expenditure in Europe is associated with food which is then thrown away.
· Of these, more than 50% are preventable each year. These foods could have eaten if they had planned, best preserved and stored.
• The 30% of packaged food is thrown away without even having been opened or touched the food.
• The 50% of food that are thrown are fruits and vegetables, followed by leftovers from meals cooked at home and / or fast food.
Most consumers are not aware of the amount of food thrown away. Many are convinced that they do not waste anything, but the reality is that each strip English nearly 63 kilos of food a year. In Spain, consumers believe that their scrap rate is 4%, when in reality the figure is 18%.
To raise awareness and encourage consumers to act in a more conscious way to preserve food better, Albal has launched a European initiative called SAVE FOOD. The initiative, in collaboration with the international humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger aims to support consumers in their efforts to save more food, with tips to help people get the most out of the food purchased and thus the waste to a lesser extent. The essential thing is to plan better meals, use the one already in the fridge before buying more or improve our way of assessing the size of portions and menus that can cook.
The initiative brought to life by Save Food page on Facebook that supports consumers in their efforts to reduce food waste through an open platform for discussion and exchange of views. Also encourages consumers to become aware commitment to save food (Save Food). For every 50 new I like to get on the Facebook site, Albal Equivalent to donate 40 euros to take care treatment a child from severe malnutrition to the NGO Action Against Hunger.
Why waste food?
· The most common causes of food waste are poor planning and improper storage.
· Around two-thirds of consumers do not plan meals in advance for the following week, so it is customary to buy more of the account at the supermarket. Most can not resist to the increasing variety of food products, which often leads to buying more of what we consume.
• The attractive presentation of products and special offers are also you, since tempt consumers add items to the shopping cart that were not originally on the list. The result is an overabundance of food that ends up being wasted food later at home.
• Once home, many consumers simply are not adequate food, making fresh food to spoil prematurely.
· Also, cook and prepare too much food, what makes leftovers become the second largest category of food wasted. Our grandmothers made him before in new recipes and we now throw in the towel. Most of us simply do not know what to do with the leftovers, so the throw.
Save food and commit to change the situation
Although everything on the food waste has been gaining importance in public opinion in recent years, it is clear that we need a significant change in consumer behavior. But not all bad news because Albal study results indicate that when people become aware of the problem of food waste is disposed to do something.
90% of intoaccount believes that a more conscious consumer behavior could reduce the amount of food waste. The vast majority of consumers are aware that reducing waste is a matter of better planning, which makes 60% of the English want to receive more information on proper storage of food to keep them fresh longer.
