Did you know that one-third of all food produced worldwide goes to waste?
France has officially become the first nation in the world to ban supermarkets from wasting food. As of this month, large grocery stores must now donate unsold food to charities- a move that will result in millions of meals for France’s needy.
People who can benefit from this food, such as the homeless, will also be getting a boost in their nutrition as much of the food thrown away is often fruits and vegetables.
In our world, there seems to be extreme opposites between those who go hungry and have no source of food, and those who have an excess amount of food to the point where obesity is a major problem. The law in France requiring supermarkets to donate their excess food hopes to help bridge this gap.
In the United States alone, the average American family of four throws away about $1,500 per year in groceries that were perfectly good. However, the reality of making all countries donate their excess food is daunting, as more jobs and volunteers are needed to sort the food and get it to the proper redistribution centers.
Much of this waste comes from confusion over the dates on food labels. The “Best By” date is actually the date that the food is at it’s optimum state, but does not actually spoil until much later, usually weeks or even months after the date on the label.
This new law is a step in the right direction to helping all people achieve better health and wellness.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/
France has officially become the first nation in the world to ban supermarkets from wasting food. As of this month, large grocery stores must now donate unsold food to charities- a move that will result in millions of meals for France’s needy.
People who can benefit from this food, such as the homeless, will also be getting a boost in their nutrition as much of the food thrown away is often fruits and vegetables.
In our world, there seems to be extreme opposites between those who go hungry and have no source of food, and those who have an excess amount of food to the point where obesity is a major problem. The law in France requiring supermarkets to donate their excess food hopes to help bridge this gap.
In the United States alone, the average American family of four throws away about $1,500 per year in groceries that were perfectly good. However, the reality of making all countries donate their excess food is daunting, as more jobs and volunteers are needed to sort the food and get it to the proper redistribution centers.
Much of this waste comes from confusion over the dates on food labels. The “Best By” date is actually the date that the food is at it’s optimum state, but does not actually spoil until much later, usually weeks or even months after the date on the label.
This new law is a step in the right direction to helping all people achieve better health and wellness.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com/