Food Waste Facts

By admin | For a better planet

Jun 20

The way the world produces and consumes food is inefficient, not sustainable and generates huge amounts of waste. To be exact 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted every year. That is a shocking number that needs to be changed. Because while we in the western world keep wasting food, people on the other side of the world remain hungry. A European or North American consumer wastes 15 times more food than a typical African consumer. Besides that Food waste in Europe alone could feed 200 million hungry people.

So why is there a food waste problem?

Food waste in the western world happens on a consumer level. Consumers order way too much food at restaurants, visiti all-inclusive resorts were they throw away half of the food and supermarkets dump food in containers that look too ugly.

While Food waste in developing countries happens at the post-harvest & processing stages. Lack of modern transport, storage infrastructure and financial, managerial and technical limitations contribute to these losses.

Next to food waste there is another problem in the world that contributes namely obesity.1.4 billion people are overweight. The world’s average calorie consumption is rising, in 2050 we’ll be eating 3,070 calories a day. On the other hand a lot of people are undernourished. Take a look at this infographic to view the facts.

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undernourishedundernourishedOther interesting facts about food waste

Growing food that is never eaten emits 10% of “rich countries’” gas emissions.

 A 20% reduction in food waste would be enough to feed 25 million Americans.

40 to 60% of all fish are discarded because of the wrong size, species or some other regulations.

Every year the EU throws away 90 million tons of food. If put on trucks, it would span the equator.

An average restaurant in Britain disposes of about 22 tons of food waste per year, which means each time a person eats, it creates 0.5 kg (1.2 lbs) of waste

Just one quarter of all wasted food could feed the 795 million undernourished people around the world who suffer from hunger

A European or North American consumer wastes almost 100 kilograms of food annually, which is more than his or her weight (70 kilograms)

Food waste generates 3.3 billions tons of carbon dioxide, which accelerates global climate change

 

Do you want to reduce waste? Follow these 8 simple steps!

In helping you reduce the waste you are producing everyday here are the following simple and easy steps that you can consider:

  1. Shopping Wisely – Having a daily planned meals and using shopping lists can help you in avoiding too much food wasted.
  2. Buying Funny Looking Fruits – It can utilize the food that can be gone to waste.
  3. Learning the shelf life of foods – Don’t be confused on the dates stated on the product which is the reason why most foods are being thrown away which are still consumable.
  4. Using a Freezer – Placing foods in the freezer can extend a foods storage life so it can still be eaten again.
  5. Requesting Smaller Portions – Some restaurants enables food to be serve on half portions if requested at a reduced price.
  6. Eating Leftovers – Taking out the food that you leftover in restaurants is a good way to reduce wasted food.
  7. Composting Food Scraps – Recycling the foods nutrients is a great alternative so it can e consumed again.
  8. Donating Food – Donating foods that are still consumable is also a good choice where you can be of help to other people.

How does Vexx contribute to reducing food waste?

One Vexx shake contains exactly what the average person needs based on a 2000 calorie diet. Additionally Vexx has a long shelf life of 6 months. Therefore you can eat Vexx whenever you want to without throwing food away unnecessary.

Vexx does not have to be kept refrigerated nor does it require heat to be prepared. The environmental impact of Vexx is minimal before and during the consumption phase.

Vexx enables people to eat healthy and sustainable. By eating healthy you will notice that you have the energy to stay sharp and have time left to enjoy life. By being aware of our impact on the world we can make sure our children will also be able to enjoy it the way we do, without any concessions.

Want to learn more? Watch these videos

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