Will new policies regarding composting and packaged food labeling solve the food waste situation?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency discarded food represents the largest component of waste reaching our landfills today giving cause for local communities to rethink their position on recycling. The USA isn’t the only country which wastes food. The problem affects other developed nation-states as well, such as the United Kingdom. National-level governmental regulators and local communities in the USA and UK are coming up with solutions to this problem. But could these good intentions cause an ever greater threat to health security?
Nestled within the state of Maryland is the beautiful Howard County. The government of this community has decided to aggressively combat food waste on a household by household basis. Each home has been issued a new trash bin, free of charge. This trash bin is green and it is specifically designed to secure food scraps. Homeowners are urged to put their food scraps in these containers and they are processed in the nearby state of Delaware. The end result of this process is that the food scraps are turned into compost. This method of facing the food scrap problem at the source is both efficient and it promotes environmental awareness. Unfortunately, not all communities are choosing household-level responsibility to deal with the food waste conundrum.
In the United Kingdom, The Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is urging packagers for products like poultry, meat and eggs to reevaluate their “DISPLAY UNTIL” food labeling policies. They began this strategy for dealing with UK food waste back in 2011. Since over 1 billion dollars worth of food is wasted because of perceived confusion over “DISPLAY UNTIL” labeling, DEFRA has a substantial reason to be concerned.
Unfortunately, “DISPLAY UNTIL” food labeling policies are the last defense for consumers to protect themselves from a practice called, “carbon monoxide treatment” of meat and fish products.
You may not know this, but the substance known as carbon monoxide is used to treat pre-packaged meat in order to keep it looking red and delicious. It is used on both meat, poultry and certain types of fish. Carbon monoxide treatment can keep meat looking fresh an extra 20 days past its “DISPLAY DATE” shelf life.
There are no laws which require packagers who use carbon monoxide treatment to label their products accordingly.
Butchers used to work within grocery stores. But during the end of the last decade a transition took place. Large meat packaging facilities prepare packaged meat items over long distances…and carbon monoxide treatment helps keep meat and poultry looking fresh.
So now we have a very serious problem which could be caused by a reactionary response to food scrap waste. If grocers in the UK no longer carry meat products which are equipped with the “DISPLAY UNTIL” labels, their meat could be at risk. There is no guarantee UK meat isn’t treated with carbon monoxide. UK meat could look fresher in the display case longer than it should. One could say, “Wait a minute, carbon monoxide treatment happens in the USA, not the UK.” Yet if you factor into this equation how the practice of carbon monoxide treatment is still happening across the globe according to the NY Times blog…there is really no guarantee that carbon monoxide treated food hasn’t made its way into the United Kingdom.
In conclusion, the way in which Howard County in Maryland has chosen to directly deal with food waste is far superior to simply changing labeling policies. By actively engaging households and giving them the tools and infrastructure to put their food waste to good use in composting projects, the family gets to see their scraps in a new light. Perhaps the additional work of bagging and putting food scraps into the green container may encourage children to finish all the food on their plates. Or perhaps parents will purchase food in smaller quantities more frequently instead of acquiring several weeks worth of groceries. Facing environmental and economic issues as a family is the best way to prevent waste and educate the next generation. And if more communities follow in the footsteps of Howard County, we will become more mindful of food waste as well as avoid potentially harmful labeling practices.
-Vital
SOURCES: BBC – Scrap food sell-by dates, government urges manufacturers – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14925046 – Accessed: February 3rd, 2012
Hey Vital,
This reminds me of the farmed salmon coloring controversy exposed several years ago. Now if you purchase farm raised salmon and it is colored it has to be labeled. I assume they do this since farmed salmon does not look as healthy as wild salmon. There are probably differences in nutrient values compared to wild salmon as well. I think we need to demand better labeling of food so we can make an informed choice. I just read an article from the Rodale Institute (they study organic farming) which states ” Research has already shown serious risks associated with the genetic engineering of our food supply including: Toxicity to human embryonic cells and endocrine disruption. Transfer of GE genes from the food we eat to microflora in our intestines. Herbicide resistant “superweeds” infesting 13 million acres in 23 states, many of which can be linked directly back to genetically engineered crops. 1,500% increase in glyphosate (herbicide) use since the introduction and widespread adoption of glyphosate-resistant GE corn, soybeans and cotton. Rampant contamination of non-GE crops.”
This is not good. I’m sure information like this and your article will encourage people to learn more about growing their own food.
-Endure
I hope so. I personally have experienced meat which was old even though it looked great. I should have known it was treated with Carbon Monoxide because it smelled a little off. The end result was that I felt bad afterward for a whole day.