Food ethics involves decisions, actions, and judgements that governments, organizations, families, and individuals make related to food and are guided by food values. Examples of food values include nutrition, quality, sustainability, animal welfare, social/cultural acceptability, cost, convenience, safety, and food waste avoidance. Often, food values are prioritized in order to guide decisions. For example, a person might become a strict vegetarian because of their concern for animal rights and environmental sustainability, even if their choice might not be convenient or culturally acceptable. Often values conflict with one another or there are trade-offs. For example, a school food service might serve chicken nuggets that are frozen and precooked, rather prepared from scratch using lower sodium ingredients. In this case, nutrition (less sodium) is sacrificed for convenience, safety (less risk from cross-contamination), and cost.
Most people certainly are concerned about food waste. Even yet, 40% of all food goes to waste here in the US. Food waste contributes to climate change as rotting food is converted to methane in land fills, and also wastes water and energy. Food insecurity remains high at 1 out of 5 people experiencing food insecurity in America which makes our food waste problem more appalling.
Although majority of food waste occurs in households (40-50%) it also occurs throughout the entire food chain including production, processing, distribution, retail, and service. Competing food values are largely to blame whether at the consumer level or at other levels of the food system that are influenced by policies, guidelines, or economics. Below are some examples of food values compete with food waste avoidance.
Food quality and social acceptability often take precedence over food waste. Consumers expect that their produce to be without blemishes and within the use-by or sell by date. So unwanted food is wasted by farmers, groceries, consumers and even food pantries in some cases. Unfortunately, use-by and sell by dates aren’t an indicator of food safety but some misperceive them to be.
Nutritional guidelines might have an impact on food waste. Some critics have suggested the Dietary Guidelines for Americans promote food waste by recommending leaner choices of meat and dairy, as the fatty parts of these products get discarded during processing.
Convenience and food safety concerns often compete with food waste avoidance. Consumers might dine out for convenience, rather than prepare left-overs. Restaurants might not be able to donate left over buffet items due to food safety policies.
As consumers we can reduce food waste by planning, preparation, storage and making using of leftovers. As concerned citizens, we can learn about food waste in our communities and work with organizations such as local food councils or governments to try to address it. Activities such as gleaning, and other waste recovery efforts take coordination amongst different groups in a community.
Author: Dan Remley, PhD, MSPH, Associate Professor, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition, and Wellness, OSU Extension
Reviewed by: Susan Zies, Assistant Professor, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, OSU Extension Wood County
Sources:
Remley, D. The Ethical Choices we Make Around Food Everyday. Accessed at https://wordpress.com/post/livehealthyosu.com/14822
Harvard School of Public Health. 2020 Dietary Guidelines Released. Accessed at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2021/01/12/2020-dietary-guidelines/
Food Print. The Problem of Food Waste. Retrieved on 2/28/22 from https://foodprint.org/issues/the-problem-of-food-waste/
Barton, A. Figuring out Your Fridge. Retrieved on 2/28/22 from https://wordpress.com/post/livehealthyosu.com/14575
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