Food Wastage

India has made great progress in producing foods like cereals, fruits, vegetables, fish, milk, and milk products thanks to advancements in science and technology. However, many people in our country and around the world still face hunger. Some don’t even get one proper meal a day. Therefore, it is important for all of us to stop wasting food wherever we can.

Quantitative wastage refers to the loss of large amounts of food. This happens due to wrong farming methods, like hand sowing of seeds, improper storage, and poor distribution of food. For example:

• Seeds not planted properly may lead to fewer crops.
• Crops can spoil due to improper storage.
• Too much food is often cooked and served at events like weddings or festivals. Many times, this food goes to waste, even though it could have fed hungry people.

Qualitative wastage happens when the quality of food is damaged. This occurs when food is not handled correctly, such as:

• Overcooking food destroys nutrients.
• Washing vegetables after cutting them can remove important vitamins.
• Using too many preservatives can harm food quality.
• Mishandling fruits like grapes and mangoes during transport.
• Incorrect calculation of delivery time, causing food to spoil before it reaches consumers.

1. Serve yourself only as much as you can eat.
2. Avoid overcooking food.
3. Avoid throwing away leftover food. Reuse it in a proper way.
4. Buy only as much grain, vegetables, fruits, milk, etc., as you need. Avoid the temptation to make excessive purchases.
5. Store grains and other perishable foodstuffs like vegetables, fruits, milk, etc., using proper methods.
6. Check the expiry date of bottled, canned, or packed food and use it within that time.
7. Eat all the food that you have served yourself.