Food Waste

The job of cleaning out the fridge is looming ahead of me. Apart from checking that the yogurts are still safe, there is a load of food darling father brought back from a do at the Methodists which never got used.

I know that there are some non UK readers, and so I will mention that the government is considering asking us to keep food waste separate and it can be used to generate electricity. The headlines are something like, 'a slop pail in every kitchen'. Food waste, minimal as it was, used to be collected during WW2 for feeding animals, but that really was part of national survival.

I know I am going to be throwing out loads - some pork that must have been on of the things affected by an open freezer door as it has defrosted a very funny colour, some fresh chicken that was unexpectedly from darling father and that was missed when the accompanying sausages were used up, the scraps and some end bits of cheese that could now be used to pave a road.

I am cautiously and tentatively in favour of the food waste being kept separate. It is better being used than being buried. It is one of the regular articles in papers, how much food is wasted and what are the worst products. If this is enforced, I think it will have a massive impact, however, because people will suddenly see just how much food they are throwing away. I cannot imagine it will not affect the way people shop and cook. I also think that suddenly there will be a huge explosion of products that could be used 'to make the food waste collection easier'. There is a business opportunity there, I am sure, and people will take it.

If it means less waste then it means more food to go around to those who are not so lucky as we are in the UK with relatively inexpensive food (at least for now) and good distribution, food safety laws and choice. I am very much in favour of that.