# Who's wasting all the food? Is it you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2018, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002 "2018-07-16T14:03:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/21 "2018-07-16T18:20:52Z")
Its me. Sorry. Had to throw out everything from the fridge and freezer last month due to an extended power outage. Probably $300-$400 worth of groceries. And its us that buy condiments like tartar sauce or salad dressing and throw out half of the bottle six months down the line. And my husband really likes to buy fruit that he then doesn’t eat. Maybe its a decoration for him, I dunno. I have convinced him that he will not eat 6 persimmons in the Costco box, but he’ll still buy pineapples when they’re 99 cents or too many apples. I regularly eat half an avocado, diligently wrap the other half, and forget about it. All of this makes me feel terrible! We’re working on it. ---
**Author:** ![Flyer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/flyer/32/7298_2.png) [@Flyer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flyer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/22 "2018-07-16T18:42:20Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > There’s a billboard in town, [similar to this one,](https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/billboard-bringing-attention-to-food-waste_20180314091137494/1042780522) claiming that the average American wastes 290 pounds of food per year. From what I’ve read elsewhere, this is post-consumer waste, i.e. it’s what individuals are discarding after they get their groceries home; waste/loss further upstream in the food supply chain is a separate issue. > > That’s over 3/4 pound of food per day, per person. :eek: WTF, that’s a lot of food. I’m sure my wife and I don’t waste that much. I think in a normal week, we might toss one overripe banana (_damn_, those things ripen fast), and every day we toss the peel from one apple. On rare occasions we have a yellow onion in the drawer that is discovered to be rotten, or some green onions in the fridge that have gone slimy. I’d claim that our household averages maybe a pound a week, instead of the _eleven_ pounds purportedly discarded by the average two-person household. > > So who’s wasting all the food? Is it you? That’s not the “average American,” **as an individual**. That’s the total amount of food waste, divided by the number of people in the country. As others have said, much of it is waste from restaurants and the like. Another large part is grocery stores. Once the “sell-by” date is past, it can no longer be sold, so stores typically just throw it away. But it’s generally still safe for most people. (People with very weak immune systems are another matter.) A very large percentage of that food could be donated to food banks and soup kitchens, but in many jurisdictions the health code won’t allow it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/23 "2018-07-16T19:18:58Z")
> [@Lightlystarched](#): > > And its us that buy condiments like tartar sauce or salad dressing and throw out half of the bottle six months down the line. Why? I don’t think I’ve _ever_ thrown out a condiment/salad dressing. So, it was “best by” a year ago? Still looks, smells, and tastes like French dressing. Mmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/24 "2018-07-16T19:20:30Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > That’s not the “average American,” **as an individual**. That’s the total amount of food waste, divided by the number of people in the country. > > As others have said, much of it is waste from restaurants and the like. > > Another large part is grocery stores. Once the “sell-by” date is past, it can no longer be sold, so stores typically just throw it away. [Not true:](http://www.businessinsider.com/fao-wasted-food-2011-5) > [@Business Insider](#): > > The average American wastes 650 pounds of food in a year. This estimate includes 400 pounds of food that are destroyed from production to retail, and 250 pounds of food that are wasted by the consumer – i.e. food that goes bad in your fridge or goes in the trash after dinner. ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/25 "2018-07-16T19:35:44Z")
> [@Flyer](#): > > Another large part is grocery stores. Once the “sell-by” date is past, it can no longer be sold, so stores typically just throw it away. Is this really true? I have been to discount and salvage stores that openly sell expired food. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/26 "2018-07-16T19:51:51Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Why? > > I don’t think I’ve _ever_ thrown out a condiment/salad dressing. So, it was “best by” a year ago? Still looks, smells, and tastes like French dressing. Mmmmmm. It was mayonnaise! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/27 "2018-07-16T20:10:55Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > It was mayonnaise! :eek: Heh. No. Mayonnaise is one condiment I make from scratch (but I call it aioli) and it is all gone when the meal is over. I taught my kids about emulsions by having them help me prepare mayo made from scratch. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/28 "2018-07-16T22:39:08Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Is this really true? I have been to discount and salvage stores that openly sell expired food. It depends on where you live and what the item is. I wouldn’t have a problem with purchasing, for example, canned soup or vegetables that are past the sell-by date as long as the cans are intact, and I’m going to use it right away. Baby food, semi-perishable items like cereal, etc.? Probably not. I have cans in my cabinet that are several years outdated, but I know how they were stored in the meantime. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/29 "2018-07-17T01:05:26Z")
> [@ioioio](#): > > It’s my cat. She’s addicted to the Temptations treats and only wants to eat those. Every day she wastes most of a can of Fancy Feast and a handful of quality dry food. I quit buying that kitty crack. My 2 decided to turn their noses up to every other food. They would wail mercilessly if it was in the house. I make chicken liver treats now and only allow 2 a day so they will eat properly. They are Siamese and thin. The vet told me to make sure they eat high quality food to keep weight on. I was sweeping out my pantry the other day and a piece of a temptation treat skittered across the floor. The cats came running. I haven’t bought those treats in at least a year and they still dove for it. Crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/30 "2018-07-17T02:47:35Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > [Not true:](http://www.businessinsider.com/fao-wasted-food-2011-5) I don’t see where restaurants fit in any of the charts in that article. If restaurant waste is under consumer waste, I can maybe see it, but I have a hard time thinking that the average family wastes almost a pound of food per person per day. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/31 "2018-07-17T02:49:59Z")
> [@Lightlystarched](#): > > Its me. Sorry. Had to throw out everything from the fridge and freezer last month due to an extended power outage. Probably $300-$400 worth of groceries. > > And its us that buy condiments like tartar sauce or salad dressing and throw out half of the bottle six months down the line. > > And my husband really likes to buy fruit that he then doesn’t eat. Maybe its a decoration for him, I dunno. I have convinced him that he will not eat 6 persimmons in the Costco box, but he’ll still buy pineapples when they’re 99 cents or too many apples. > > I regularly eat half an avocado, diligently wrap the other half, and forget about it. > > All of this makes me feel terrible! We’re working on it. Smart refrigerators might help with this. “The leftover in container 23 is 5 days old, you should think about eating it.” ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/32 "2018-07-17T03:19:55Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Why? > > I don’t think I’ve _ever_ thrown out a condiment/salad dressing. So, it was “best by” a year ago? Still looks, smells, and tastes like French dressing. Mmmmmm. This is nasty. The food stuff may preserve that long. But if left in the same container, the container turns into a petri dish. Ever noticed the sides of the bottle with the crusty food stuffs on it? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/33 "2018-07-17T10:38:12Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > This is nasty. The food stuff may preserve that long. But if left in the same container, the container turns into a petri dish. > Ever noticed the sides of the bottle with the crusty food stuffs on it? No. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/34 "2018-07-17T13:59:43Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Heh. No. Mayonnaise is one condiment I make from scratch (but I call it aioli) What happened to the first two l’s? Allioli, garlicandoil. Genuine curiosity, I’d like to know if you transcribed the pronunciation or learned the spelling from someone who’d lost those two l’s. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/35 "2018-07-17T14:07:29Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I don’t see where restaurants fit in any of the charts in that article. Restaurants have a business incentive to reduce waste. If customers are leaving half their food on their plate, then a smart restaurateur can reduce the portion size, cutting his material costs. One might argue that individuals have the same financial incentives, but the average business owner tends to review their costs much more often and objectively than the average individual. As it turns out, restaurants don’t waste a whole lot. According to [this article:](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/11/27/165907972/for-restaurants-food-waste-is-seen-as-low-priority) > [@NPR](#): > > Schwab says food waste from restaurants makes up 15 percent of all the food that ends up in landfills. [This one says restaurants (to include full-service restaurants, institutional/food service, and limited-service restaurants)](http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/operations/what-restaurants-can-do-reduce-food-waste) waste 16M tons of food per year, or about a 1/4-pound of food per person per day. They also specifically point to “homes” as wasting 27M tons of food per year, or nearly half a pound of food per person per day. I’m surprised restaurants are wasting _that_ much food, considering not everyone eats out for every meal. The half-pound cited here as being wasted directly by end consumers is less than what I mentioned in my OP…but it still seems like a lot. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/36 "2018-07-17T14:11:26Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What happened to the first two l’s? Allioli, garlicandoil. Genuine curiosity, I’d like to know if you transcribed the pronunciation or learned the spelling from someone who’d lost those two l’s. The French (actually the occitaines) took 'em: > **[Definition of AIOLI](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aioli)** > > a mayonnaise flavored with garlic and sometimes other ingredients (such as red pepper)… See the full definition > [@](#): > > Origin and Etymology of aioli > Occitan, from ai garlic + oli oil ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/37 "2018-07-17T14:17:48Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What happened to the first two l’s? Allioli, garlicandoil. Genuine curiosity, I’d like to know if you transcribed the pronunciation or learned the spelling from someone who’d lost those two l’s. A buddy of mine is a chef. I’ve written reviews of some meals he created and he always spelled it aioli. In fact, that is how I see it spelled various places. 😕 > [@](#): > > Aioli or aïoli is a Mediterranean sauce made of garlic and olive oil; some regions use other emulsifiers such as egg. The names mean “garlic and oil” in Catalan and Provençal. Wikipedia ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/38 "2018-07-17T19:23:01Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Restaurants have a business incentive to reduce waste. If customers are leaving half their food on their plate, then a smart restaurateur can reduce the portion size, cutting his material costs. One might argue that individuals have the same financial incentives, but the average business owner tends to review their costs much more often and objectively than the average individual. > > As it turns out, restaurants don’t waste a whole lot. According to [this article:](https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/11/27/165907972/for-restaurants-food-waste-is-seen-as-low-priority) > > [This one says restaurants (to include full-service restaurants, institutional/food service, and limited-service restaurants)](http://www.restaurant-hospitality.com/operations/what-restaurants-can-do-reduce-food-waste) waste 16M tons of food per year, or about a 1/4-pound of food per person per day. They also specifically point to “homes” as wasting 27M tons of food per year, or nearly half a pound of food per person per day. > > I’m surprised restaurants are wasting _that_ much food, considering not everyone eats out for every meal. > > The half-pound cited here as being wasted directly by end consumers is less than what I mentioned in my OP…but it still seems like a lot. 1/2 a pound per person per day is a lot more reasonable. I’d suspect that people leaving food on their plates is a small part of restaurant food waste. When they chop vegetables before dinner to get their mise set up (I’m an expert from reading Kitchen Confidential) a lot of that is going into the trash. If they buy a certain amount of a meat, and don’t sell it, they can recycle some into other dishes, but there is still going to be some left over that they must trash. And American restaurants anyway might serve bigger portions to get more people in. The increment in cost for a bigger portion size is pretty small, and will be more than made up by an increase in traffic. Any home cook knows that we can make things a lot cheaper than we can get them out, even though we buy food retail. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/39 "2018-07-17T19:37:00Z")
Not us. We compost scraps and peel (shouldn’t be counted as “food” waste IMHO), and aside from the occasional couple of stale crackers, chicken or fish bones, or bag o’ green slime, we don’t generate much food waste. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2018, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002/40 "2018-07-17T19:46:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > A buddy of mine is a chef. I’ve written reviews of some meals he created and he always spelled it aioli. In fact, that is how I see it spelled various places. 😕 The Catalan is _allioli_ (about 845K hits in Google; about 1730K for the Spanishized version _alioli_). _All_ = garlic, _i_ = and, _oli_ = oil. Whomever wrote your second quote apparently doesn’t realize that there are differences between Occitan and Catalan. Thank you. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-wasting-all-the-food-is-it-you/818002.md?page=3)