Best 5 Ways To Reduce a Waste

Food waste is an enormous problem. In the United States alone, 40 percent of food goes uneaten, and the food we eat takes up 21 percent of all available land space in the country!

The food industry needs a solution and science has one. Today, we'll talk about five ways science has reduced food waste around the world:

1) Improve harvesting techniques to keep fruits fresher for longer

2) Store produce without added heat or cold

3) Make more efficient use of water usage during production through irrigation systems

4) Use better packaging to reduce spoilage from air exposure

5) Collaborate with private companies to recollect "ugly" produce that doesn't get sold due to its appearance.

These technologies save money for farmers, make it easier for grocery stores, and help reduce food waste in countries all around the world.

Let's get started with our list!

1) Harvesting is one of the most important stages of food production. The wrong harvesting techniques can destroy crops and reduce crop yield. This is especially true when it comes to fruits like cherries and blueberries, which are easily bruised by contact during harvest. Recently, scientist found out that lasers could be the solution for this problem. A laser sensor device known as Lidar has been used with ultraviolet light to eliminate human handling of cherries while still being gentle enough not to damage them.

2) Another way scientists are making food last longer is by storing produce without added heat or cold. That's right: they're using refrigeration as little as possible. Believe it or not, some fruits and vegetables actually taste better after they've been sitting out for a while.

Let me explain what I mean by "storing fruit without added heat." A common practice in the food industry is to use sprays containing glycols like propylene glycol during harvest and storage of produce like nuts and strawberries. This reduces the rate of water loss from produce and helps keep them fresh longer (think of it as oiling your skin before going outside on a hot day). The problem with this method is that glycol sprays contain propylene glycol, a chemical that can cause allergic reactions and respiratory damage in humans.

Scientists have found an alternative to the glycol spray: calcium chloride. Calcium chloride is non-toxic and much cheaper than using propylene glycol sprays, so it's used in combination with water rather than oil during harvesting and storage of produce like strawberries. This method reduces spoilage when produce is stored at room temperature by 40 percent!

3) The third way scientists are reducing food waste? Make better use of water usage during production through irrigation systems. One example of this technology is drip irrigation. Drip irrigation uses small amounts of water over long periods resulting in high crop yield and reducing water consumption. Scientists have also developed porous capsules filled with water and then inserted into the soil during planting. As roots grow, they take up the water in these capsules, resulting in less evaporation from large water reservoirs.

4) Packaged food can be kept on the shelf for a long time because of enhancements in packing materials. Food science has helped certain foods last longer. This applies to fresh produce such as carrots and broccoli (which will stay fresh up to 10 times longer if stored correctly) and fruit like bananas (which will last several days after ripening if stored in the refrigerator). These packaging advancements have reduced food waste by allowing people to keep food items for more extended periods before they spoil and go to the garbage

5) The fifth way scientists reduce food waste is by recollecting "ugly" produce that doesn't get sold due to its appearance. Produce like bananas, potatoes, apples, oranges, tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, and strawberries. These items get thrown away every year because they're not pretty enough for grocery store shelves.

Farmers often throw away food because it's too small or has a blemish on it, but what if grocery stores could use produce rejected for good? What if we could turn "ugly" produce into food to feed hungry people or animals? Companies are already doing this with tomatoes, potatoes, apples, and oranges. By using the less aesthetically pleasing produce discarded by grocery stores, companies reduce landfill waste while providing high-quality food to people who need it.

Scientists, farmers, and food manufacturers are always trying to reduce the amount of food thrown away. So next time you're at the grocery store or eating in a restaurant, think about how much food you're wasting because someone decided that your broccoli didn't look good enough for sale. Food waste is a growing issue in America and we can help reduce it by thinking about how we buy food and what we do with the food we purchase. Some scientists have been working pretty hard on this issue and one worthy of mention is food scientist Humberto Ojeda Avila.

Humberto Ojeda Avila is a scientist who has developed many ways to reduce food waste. Humberto has recently received the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for his invention of using calcium chloride to prolong the shelf-life of produce without having to use glycol sprays. Humberto Ojeda Avila is really invested in the field of food science, and passionate about reducing food waste. Humberto says we have to remember that some of this product would have gone into a landfill if not for the research being done in Food Science at Texas A&M University." Humberto is currently working on reducing food waste caused by ripening fruit and vegetables with his colleagues at the university.

Food scientist Humberto Ojeda Avila has been making progress in significantly reducing food waste for decades. Food science focuses on the process of turning raw ingredients into a product that is safe to eat and ready to eat, and his innovative techniques have allowed for an increase in food safety while also cutting down waste.