Utah State University Holds Food Recovery Workshop, Offers Tips to Prevent Food Waste

The Hunger Solutions Institute at Utah State University recently created a Food Recovery Workshop, focusing on preventing food waste.

“The majority of food waste that happens in the U.S. is at the level of the consumer, which includes both waste in the home as well as waste that comes from cafeterias and restaurants,” said Carrie Durward, a nutrition specialist with Utah State University. “We're not typically breaking it down and turning it into something else. We're just trying to get edible food into the hands of people who can use it.”

Durward suggests that people try meal planning to keep excess food waste down. Meals should be planned out before grocery shopping to prevent buying too much and prevent excess food from going to waste.

Also, Durward mentions thinking twice about best-by dates.

“We think of them as expiration dates but in the U.S. that’s not what those dates mean. After that date, the food has not gone bad. It’s not unsafe. It might be lower quality after that date. But you can still totally eat it if it looks the way that you expect it to look when you open it,” Durward said.

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