Finish Everything, or Else
Could you imagine dining in a restaurant that fined you for the food you did not finish? In Sydney, Australia, there is a restaurant that does this very thing. They do everything they can to make sure you finish the food that is on your plate. Customers who finish everything on their plate get a 30% discount on their meals, but customers who don't are expected to pay a fine and not come back again to dine at the restaurant. On the menu what they think finishing a meal consists of gets very specific: “'Finishing your meal requires that everything is eaten except lemon slices, gari (sushi ginger) and wasabi," followed by—"Please also note that vegetables and salad on the side are NOT decorations; they are part of the meal too.'" The main chef at this particular restaurant is very concerned with sustainability and the growing food waste epidemic. Read more.
Is This Necessary?
Do we need to go to these extremes? At the rate we're going... maybe.
Since the 1970's, food waste has increased by 50 percent, according to this article, and according to this article, 15 percent of that comes from food wasted at restaurants.
And it makes sense when you think about it. There are too many circumstances in restaurants that it is very easy to waste food in. There are food scraps left over from cooking. There are those customers who are particular about their meals and send them back. There are many restaurants who serve giant portions, and giant portions of food that aren't good re-heated. (Have you ever tried to take fries home from a restaurant? I have. Yuck.)
Sure, it doesn't excuse that so much food is wasted, but it does make sense. We all know that part of solving a problem is figuring out what has caused the problem in the first place.
The Savory Taste of Expired Food
If you think the restaurant in Sydney is a little strange, the Former president of Trader Joe's is trying to create a new type of restaurant: one that uses expired ingredients. You may be a little disgusted at this point, but he's not planning on using spoiled milk or anything. He says that when we buy things at the store, the expiration dates don't necessarily mean the food is bad to eat. They are suggestions. He plans on using produce that would otherwise be thrown away although it would be still good. More.
Where Do All The Ugly Vegetables Go?
If you think the idea for an expired food restaurant isn't the most appealing, here is one that sounds more doable: A catering business in Berlin, Germany, called the Culinary Misfits buy and use all of the "ugly" vegetables. The ones that people don't buy, that are scuffed, bruised, or strangely shaped. The Culinary Misfits are concerned that half of the crop ends up wasted. They shop at farmer's markets and they shop seasonally. The vegetables may start out looking pretty funny, but the end product looks delicious. I encourage you to click around and look at the pictures of this, here, but it is in German so unless you use the translation tool you may not be able to do much with it other then view the images.
At Least It's a Start
There are a lot of really interesting ways to combat food waste. It may be a little over-the-top to fine a customer for not finishing their food, but it's not so over-the-top to consider putting the “ugly” vegetables to good use, especially if the only thing wrong with them may be their appearance, something that probably won't matter once it's cooked. It's also a good idea to be more conscious of what a date on the package really means. Just because the packaging says it's “Best By” a certain date, doesn't mean it instantly becomes inedible on that day. It's not the solution, but it is a step in the right direction.
I completely get the ugly vegetable thing because I work at a grocery store. I cannot tell you the amount of times I get someone through my line who tells me they didn't want a particular item of produce because it looked weird or was bruised, etc. I just have it replaced, because it's still good, but I wonder if it really gets purchased or not. It's good that someone is buying all those misfits!
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not only the vegetables too. How often do people put back dented, damaged cans/boxes/etc because they didn't like the look of it? I think, there isn't a huge problem with the food inside, it's only the fact that this box isn't as pretty as the others. And many of those boxes go to damages where they'll get thrown out.
An interesting issue! Can't wait to see what else you post!
They fine people for not finishing their food? That’s a little crazy. Sure they want to be more sustainable, but that is basically forcing people to eat over their limit, which is unhealthy. I don’t agree with that ordeal, but I do like the restaurant that taking all of the “ugly” vegetables and makes something delicious out of it. I don’t even want to think of how much produce goes to waste because it’s bruised or weird looking—it could be feeding people!
ReplyDeleteTrader Joes also has a great idea, though I’m not sure it’ll catch on all that quickly. When people hear “expired food”, they aren’t exactly rushing to eat it. But expired food can last for a while after its suggested date. I think if they didn’t advertise that it was expired food, the idea would sell much better. Overall, I really liked this blog post. It was so informative!