Food Waste - A Canadian Wake Up Call
Trashed and Wasted is usually what we call someone who has a little bit too much to drink. But this time, Trashed and Wasted refers to an event that took place on March 1st at the Wychwood barns. It was a dining experience that was used to create awareness of a serious growing issue, food waste. The event was put on and organized by head chef Brock Sheppard, who’s focus is for everyone to become more conscious of our waste collection habits and the food we are discarding.
What was unique about the event is that the dishes being made were from ingredients that are typically found in discarded food waste. Some of the culinary dishes prepared were the Tom Yum Soup made with fish heads which is a popular classic in Thai cuisine, and a stew made from the skins of green plantains, a favorite among those from Venezuela. A delicious and popular drink choice at the event was a vodka that was made from leftover cheese whey, thanks to the people at Yongehurst Distillery Co. and Stratford’s Monforte Dairy.
It has been reported that an astonishing $31 billion worth of food is being discarded each year in Canada alone. With all of the awareness now that is being raised regarding the overload of garbage dumps, this came as a successful event. With the intent of sparking ideas of how to create food from neglected leftovers, this event left a lot of guests thinking about what they could do to change their habits.
There are already many countries that are doing their part to lower their food wastage. It is time for Canada to fall in place as well. For instance, Denmark has opened a new supermarket that allows soon-to- be expired and damaged products to be sold at a discount rate. France is also doing their part by passing a law in 2015 that told supermarkets that they had to donate their unused products. They now either can turn their waste into compost, have it used for animal feed, or simply donate it to the needy.
Just recently, Canadian supermarkets have been changing the way they do things as well with regards to food waste. Loblaws stores have now discount shelves that hold imperfect produce being sold at a discounted price. Before this change, many of this produce was being thrown out because customers were not buying it due to the “ugly” appearance of it.
The event was also created to be an eye-opener for all future and present chefs to cherish where their food comes from. We have to keep it mind that it is not only the food itself that is being wasted when it gets thrown out. It is also everything that was put into it that is also being discarded. From the labour, down to the water and fuel used to produce it. We should be mindful when doing our groceries and really consider what we’re putting in our carts.
