Lessons for Lunch

One of the biggest issues facing us, as well as climate change is obesity and dietary related illness which is grinding our health service to a slow and abrupt stop. In the UK we have Jamie Oliver trying to change the nation. In the US they have Ann Cooper.

Ann Cooper has a frontline view of the daily battle to keep kids healthy -- and of the enemy, the processed-foods industries that, it sometimes seems, want to wrap every single thing that children eat in a fried coating and then a plastic bag. As the director of nutrition services for the Berkeley (California) Unified School District, she's an outspoken activist for serving fresh, sustainable food to kids. Her lively website, Lunch Lessons, rounds up recipes, links, and resources for food activism.

Cooper's influential program in Berkeley involves kids in every stage of the food they eat, from growing to disposing of it. And along the way, eating some delicious cafeteria lunches.

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Video: What's Wrong With What We Eat

What's wrong with our Western style diet, in a fiery and funny talk, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk.

My diet has long perturbed me, and from this excellent Ted Talk, with Mark Bittman, it does put it into perspective how much meat I (and probably the rest of the world) eat. Not only is it beneficial for our bodies and the environment but no doubt for the health service of the nation who as even Jamie Oliver has said is crippling under the pressure of dietary related illness (or something similar to these words.

I'm going to attempt to change my diet, over the next few weeks and months which in itself is pretty difficult, as I work in the food industry, where there is an abundance of meat related products. My attempt is to reduce meat consumption to half a pound a week. Wish me luck.

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How Much CO2 is in Your Breakfast Cereal This Morning?

According to New Scientist (13th September 2008), a bowl of cereal has the same carbon footprint as a 7km journey in a 4x4. According to reporter Bijal Trivedi, our shopping baskets are spewing greenhouse gases, but it's easy to cut out the culprits.

333g of CO2eq is emitted to make one hard-boiled egg. Compared with a bowl of cereal with milk at 1224 grams.

There's lots of other exciting reads in the feature article, for more information, you can check the New Scientist website.


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Food Waste Scheme Hailed Success

The Waste & Resource Action Plan (WRAP), has hailed a food waste recycling scheme in which 4,272 tonnes of food waste were diverted from landfill a success. The efforts also averted 1,967 tonnes of CO2.

Nineteen English local authorities experimented with ways of collecting food waste from 94,000 households. In the majority of areas, more than 70% of people agreed to separate their food waste for composting. The average food waste collection was between 0.3 and 2.2 kilos.

"We are delighted by the results of these trials, which show that if consumers are given the right tools and are provided with a good service, they will participate in initiatives to cut waste sent to landfill."
Phillip Ward, Director for Local Government Services, WRAP

The organisers believe that a survey of people in the pilot areas identified a gap between perception and reality.

Of the non-participants interviewed, a common reason for not taking part was that residents felt that they did not produce enough food waste to make it worthwhile.

However, WRAP research in the recent "The Food We Waste" report shows that even households claiming that they generate no food waste at all produce, on average, 2.9kg per week.

Concerns about potential odour, hygiene issues or attracting vermin were the reasons given by 24% of non-participants - but for those who did participate, the majority claimed not to have had a problem with any of these issues.

A highly positive note from this announcement is that these schemes work when implemented, people are willing to carry out the task of waste separation and will do. If similar schemes were implemented across the UK's approximate 21m households, we could see 954 383 tonnes of food diverted from landfill and 439 436 tonnes of CO2 emissions. However even more importantly, by volume, food waste is the largest contributor to methane gas production, and sending this to landfill releases these gases. The EU Landfill Directive and Waste Regulations, like regulations in other countries, encourage diverting organic wastes away from landfill disposal for these reasons.


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Delivered Milk is Cleaner, Greener and Easier to Swallow

Since the early 90's, milkmen have struggled to remain competitive in the market against the convenience of 24/7 supermarkets with loss leading pricing tactics. This has inevitably saw a decline in the number of milkmen in the UK by over 10 000 in the last ten years, as more people turn to the supermarkets and existing clients (as they were often elderly) pass away. It's a tough life for milkmen rising as early as 2am, to go to the dairy to load their floats with the milk for the day. A job they love, but under the pressure from the supermarkets, one which pays a standard wage. Self-employed, to make a living they need to sell at least 500 gallons a week, they have little time off, even during bereavement and illness.

But as people try to green their lives some are turning back to the milkman as a way of receiving their milk fresh and green daily (or we hope).

The latest figures from WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, suggest that the UK milk industry is responsible for 130,000 tonnes of plastic waste, every year. To put that into perspective this is the more than the amount of plastic that is required for the total annual use of plastic bags in the UK.

Or ... 19 066 667 600 bags ... to be precise is the milk industry equivalent.

Plastic is a funny substance and can't really be recycled more than once, so there are limitations as to the amount of times it can be reused, and even more limitations on the types of products that they can replace, not to mention the way in which the plastic is collected, sorted and recycled. It takes 1.75 kilograms of petroleum (in terms of energy and raw materials) to make one kilogram of HDPE.

Or ... 228 229 285 litres of petroleum ... enough to power a Peugeot 107 for 3.08 billion miles.

Milkmen use cute clinky glass bottles (not all, best to ask first, avoid shock later), these can be reused twenty times before they need to be recycled. They also are virtually infinitely recyclable, although quality tends to degrade after the seventh time. The added advantage is the milkman collects the empty bottles on his next delivery, this allows the bottles to be effectively removed from all waste streams.

Most milkmen in the UK travel on clean green electric milk floats which emit no CO2 emissions other than those from electricity generation, and the milk floats are exceptionally efficient in terms of energy used, compared to petrol or diesel vehicles. One manufacture of these vehicles is Smith, who have diversified into other electric powered commercial vehicles.

We know know the packaging is greener and the distribution, but what about production, either way it is the same, but should we be consuming diary products at all? They are after-all renowned for the carbon intensive farming. The carbon footprint of 1 pint of milk is 596g of CO2.

1.05g of CO2 / 1ml of Milk

Now comes the real choice in what you consume and how it can affect your carbon footprint, organic milk uses three times less energy to produce because it doesn't require energy-intensive fertiliser. This should in effect reduce CO2 emissions by 55%, assuming 83% of CO2 is from production.

0.47g of CO2 / 1ml of Organic Milk (estimated)

So if you don't have a milkman already, it might be an idea to find one, I went in search, if you live in Northern Ireland, you can contact your local dairy, or visit Dale Farm. For the rest of the UK, you can try Find Me a Milkman or Deliver Milk.

Whilst delivered milk is slightly more expensive, this added cost also means you will likely never run out of milk, it's fresh, it's delivered and when saying I'm just going to the supermarket for milk, you categorically spend twenty times that of what you intended to buy in the first place, half an hour in the store and another 15 minutes driving there and parking in the packed out supermarket, and it doesn't come in a cute clinky glass bottle.

If you have a milkman I'd love to hear your comments and the price you pay for a pint of milk to debunk the ideas that milkmen charge exorbitant prices! I have faith.


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Organic Can be Cheaper

It bemuses me as I shop that some organic products are cheaper, especially as we are use to the profiteering of such eco-credentials, however one product that I have noticed remains consistently cheaper than its non-organic counter-part is Ambrosia Creamed Rice. Yesterday at Tesco, it was a cool 23p a tin cheaper for the organic version, certified by the Soil Association, that means less nasties used to make your food. The ingredients in the product that are organically grown are "Full Cream Milk", there's a glass and a half in each 425g tin, I'll have you know. Rice and Sugar.

Founded in 1917, as an infant nutrition company, Ambrosia has grown to become one of Britain's best known and loved brands, number one in both the custard and creamed pudding markets. You'll find a large range of their products in supermarkets across the UK, all made using high-quality milk delivered fresh to their Devon dairy and containing no artificial colours or preservatives.

Ambrosia is a trademark of Premier Foods, the UK's largest food producer. More than 99% of all UK households bought a Premier Foods brand last year and 43 million people eat one of our branded products every two weeks. At the forefront of their corporate mantra is efficiency and carbon management setting their main goals of;

• 10% energy reduction target in 2009 from a 2008 baseline
• Zero waste to landfill by 2015
• 20% water use reduction by 2020

I have contacted Premier Foods about this to ask about this issue further, and will update you should I get a reply. I'm quite glad that some companies, whether intentionally or not have price decisions which ultimately encourage consumers to be more environmentally friendly. Why would any one opt to pay the extra 23p per tin for a product which in my opinion tastes the exact same, but is easier to swallow knowing that the product was produced with organic ingredients, helping to reduce harmful chemicals from entering the food supply and effectively us.


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Our Food ... Our Future

From the butter mountains of a decade ago, millions are now facing starvation around the world as food prices rocket. Our Food, Our Future on BBC Radio Four will explore the facts and the myths surrounding the debate and the implications for food production in the future.

The show can be heard on Radio Four Mondays at 9.00am. Or on BBC iPlayer for upto seven days after broadcast.

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Tesco Save 72m Bags in Northern Ireland

Tesco customers in Northern Ireland have saved 72m plastic carrier bags in the last two years since implementing "Green Clubcard" points scheme in July 2006.

The scheme allows you to reuse your old plastic bags from any retailer, a bag for life, or any other receptical to carry your goods away, in exchange for avoiding the use of a single use bag you can collect recieve a clubcard point. Often at the discretion of the customer service staff.

This figure would represent a saving of 491 tonnes of bags, across the two years of the scheme, or 20 bags per person per year, approximately a 12% reduction in the annual bags used in Northern Ireland, and from just one retailer. Nationwide, the campaign has lead to a reduction of approximately 1.5 billion bags since inception.

Investing in Cows Reaps Cheesey Rewards

Wester Lawrenceton Farm have a long established loan scheme, where members lend against the value of organic dairy cows, with the interest paid in cheese. The idea originated from a neighbour of Wester Lawrenceton Farm in 1997 who said, "I wouldn't mind owning a leg of a cow".

The whole farm is a Company Limited by Guarantee, owned and controlled by (and employing) the farmers. Members lend money against the value of the herd. They have no voting rights and members are paid interest at a set rate in cheese. The Rodways, owners of the farm, are currently drawing up a legal agreement for the cow sharing scheme. Lenders are encouraged to participate in the work and life of the farm. The Rodways would like to develop a group (or an individual) to take over the scheme's organisation. One drawback of the scheme so far has been that, until responsibility is devolved, it adds to the workload. However, the farmers consider it to be a good scheme and a core group of members has emerged, from which offers to take on the work voluntarily have already come.

This legal set-up provides a useful structure that allows people's money to be invested in the organic herd. Some extra work that falls to the Rodways is generated by the scheme but it has nevertheless increased the capital available to them.

21 people have lent money to the farm, in units of £500. Lenders do not own individual animals but collectively their loans are equal to the value of the herd. They are paid interest at a set rate of 8% per year. The interest is paid in cheese, valued at £10/kg, which is more than the wholesale price but less than the retail price. They receive 4kg of cheese per year per £500 loan, which they usually come and collect in large quantities. They can have their loan repaid at a few months notice but in practice most people regard the investment as part of a long term relationship with the farm. Six months notice is required to leave the scheme, preferably having found a replacement.

For legal reasons, these cow shares cannot be advertised or offered direct to the general public; instead they must be offered only to specific individuals who have shown an interest.

The social, cultural and educational aspect of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is important to the farm. Although one aim of the scheme was to improve the farm's finances, another was to address social issues. The farmers believe in the need to reconnect with the rest of society and to educate the public about farming (some do not realise that cows need to have calves in order to produce milk).

There are newsletters and events on the farm about 3 times per year (either festivals or an open day). Most years there is a meeting of cow sharers too. Keeping people involved requires more effort than, for example, box schemes where members visit the farm each week. Holding events is one way in which to sustain people's connections with the farm. This is important because, while some cow sharers visit the farm to pick up their cheese regularly, others collect it infrequently, just before Christmas, for instance.

Festivals are usually celebrated annually, attended by about 50 people (more at Christmas). They draw on ancient Celtic, pagan and Christian traditions at St Bride's day, Christmas Eve and Harvest time. On St Bride's day, families join in with singing, weaving reeds, making blessings and walking the boundaries of the farm. There is a resident artist who helps with events such as a fire sculpture. Everyone shares in traditional farmhouse food and children enjoy eating festive, wholesome dishes as part of the celebration.

On Christmas Eve, carols are sung in the cowshed and to the sheep in the fields, after which mulled wine and mince pies are available. This event is very popular and is held in the early evening so that children can join in. It is seen as a way to remind children of Jesus's birth and get away from the materialism of Christmas. Pam Rodway commented that CSAs and similar schemes allow people to see what the origins of celebration were; that they are both practical (based on food production) and spiritual. They also benefit the farmers, providing support and validation of their work and breaking the isolation of farming.

Participants also learn about the Ayrshire breed, lactation, calving and other farm issues. They give names to the cows and the herd currently includes Rhubarb, Custard and Crumble. There are work days where groups of people tackle jobs such as clearing ragwort, path building and fence repairs.

More people would like to lend money to the scheme but places are limited and people are chosen who will participate in the life of the farm. They are a wide range of mostly local people who knew the farm or had heard of the initiative through word of mouth. The area is home to people with traditional values as well as people associated with an alternative community. Wester Lawrenceton is next door to another CSA (Earthshare), with whom they have a co-operative relationship and some people are members of both schemes.

The Rodways are happy with the scheme and how it has worked and have no plans to change how it operates or its size. The farm is considering introducing other traditional breeds and expects to continue with the current CSA arrangements.

More information can be found on the Cultivating Communities Website.

Green Washing: Tesco and Local Produce

Tesco billboard advertisement for locally sourced Aberdeen Angus beef. But really how does the meat from the farm next door to you get to Tesco's on the other side of you? It's not as simple as A to B.

"With meat in the UK, there is also a supermarket issue. Each of the supermarkets runs its own abattoir, so if you sell your lamb to Tesco, you have to send your lamb to Tesco's abattoir, even if you pass several local abattoirs on the way. As a result, the meat picks up a huge amount of 'in-Britain' food miles from farm to abattoir then to packaging before it gets to its final destination."
Prof Gareth Edwards-Jones, Department of Agriculture, Bangor University
Quoted in Telegraph, 03 June 2007

Fast Food with a Conscience?

With our lives becoming so deluged with work, socialising, sleeping and eating. Sometimes convenience food is a must to squeeze the most out of your 24 hours a day. So can you eat fast food and not kill 23 people, destroy 2 trees, and waste 30000 litres of water on the other side of the world through global warming, not to mention slave and child labour?

McDonalds and other leading players have long been relentlessly criticised in the media day in, day out ranging from where they source their meat to how it is sold.

I work in the hospitality industry as a manager and it does perturb me the disregard for the environment by many fast food giants. Although they are wising up to "green-washing" and moving towards a greener future, as it not only makes them look good, it also saves them money.

Examples of such positive green ideas exist in worldwide submarine sandwich chain SUBWAY;

• First SUBWAY® Eco-Store opened November 9, 2007 in Kissimmee, FL
• SUBWAY® Napkin saves approximately 60,500,000 gallons of water and an additional 147,000 trees annually because they are made from 100% recycled fiber processed chlorine free.
• All liquid cleaners used in SUBWAY® restaurants are non-corrosive, readily biodegradable, and are manufactured without the use of phosphates and ammonia
• Distribution Efforts were made to strategically relocate several redistribution centers next to vendor manufacturing facilities, eliminating the need to transport product from long distances. So far, the move saves an estimated 1,660,079 gallons of fuel per year and eliminates 10,491 truck loads annually.

More information on Greenwashing by SUBWAY can be found at their Green Living section.

Beyond locally grown meat and produce, eco-fast food must look to their entire operation to create a sustainable business model, from recycled packaging, biodegradable cleaning products, and renewable energy to pizza delivered with electric or hybrid powered vehicles.

The Massachusetts-based non-profit Green Restaurant Association has helped restaurants interested in greening their operations by setting guidelines and defining the exact 11—step process required for “certification” as a green restaurant.

Those steps are:

1. Energy Efficiency and Conservation
2. Water Efficiency and Conservation
3. Recycling and Composting
4. Sustainable Food
5. Pollution Prevention
6. Recycled, Tree-Free, Biodegradable and Organic Products
7. Chlorine-Free Paper Products
8. Non-Toxic Cleaning and Chemical Products
9. Green Power
10. Green Building and Construction
11. Education

But are there really any options for ethical, green, eco friendly fast food without a conscience? According to Ode magazine there is some almost heavenly low CO2 fast food restaurants out there, they look at a few in their must read article by Mary Desmond Pinkowish from the April 2008 edition.

Unfortunately this is all stateside eco fast food (with the exception of Pret A Manger), what about in the UK?

No eco fast food joints that I am aware of, please let me know if you know of any, so I can visit for a bite to eat and look at your credentials. But there are some environmentally aware restaurants out there, in London at least (provided by SugarVine).

The leading light so far has to be Acorn House, situated, of all carbon-crazy places, in King’s Cross, which surely must speak volumes about the good intentions of the planners so far. Co-founded by the Shoreditch Trust and the Terence Higgins Trust, this is a combination of restaurant, chef’s school and ecological powerhouse. To sum up the concept as succinctly as possible, the idea is to take 10 budding chefs from the community (à la Jamie) and train them alongside a full time team in the restaurant. But it doesn’t stop there: the restaurant building itself is constructed entirely from recycled and/or organic material; the water is purified on site to save packaging and air miles; all the waste is recycled; the electricity is completely green; and if supplies do come from foreign shores, they are shipped by boat, not by air.

All this would be in vain, however, if the food wasn’t up to scratch. Luckily it seems to be heading in an eclectic, but definitely tempting, direction. They open from breakfast through to dinner, ‘to reflect modern London life’, and, in another brilliant stroke of genius, the size of the portions vary, to minimise food wastage, so if you’re starving, but your mate’s barely peckish, you can mix and match to your stomach’s content. The food ranges slightly in culinary influence, from roast shoulder of mutton with rosemary and quince; buffalo mozzarella with fennel, chilli and olives; fried (wild) salmon with barley broth; and even pheasant and pomegranate salad. The prices range from £8 to £14 per plate, which seems unbelievably reasonable, but is evidently the case. And it’s not all hemp chairs and rope floors either: the interior is just a cool, neutral, modern space that retains a distinctly grown-up, and not at all worthy, air.

Of course, not everyone is quite there yet, but one of the easier options if you’re trying to save the planet is to go local. In the case of Konstam at the Prince Albert again also, curiously, in King’s Cross, Oliver Rowe, chef patron and late of Moro, couldn’t have stayed more local -- all his ingredients, including most beers and wine, are sourced from within the M25, which, whether you can believe it or not, is true. Not only does this cut down on transport costs and packaging, but ensures that he only gets seasonal produce. Even the oil used in cooking and with the bread is rapeseed rather than olive oil, which is dedication to the cause. The ingredients are used in a modern British way, so think Norbury Blue cheese with honeycomb, a luscious combination; Waltham Abbey chicken with sage and onion sauce; or even nettle pierogi (one assumes that sometimes necessity, and a slight shortage occasionally, is the mother of invention). The restaurant itself is very patriotically British Racing Green, with low lighting and delicate chandeliers used to great effect. No doubt the television series has helped bookings enormously, but the atmosphere is buzzy and welcoming, and again, there is no leftover taste of worthiness.

Taking the Notting Hillbillies by storm, Bumpkin has become a one-stop shop for all-day deli and restaurant fun. Opened by the team behind Cocoon, despite the name, it’s not so much Yorkshire farmer as Trinny-and-Susannah-styled rural peasant, but it’s none the worse for that. Set over three floors, the ground floor is styled as a country brasserie and deli, featuring simple grills such as Gloucester Old Spot pork chop and very hearty pies, including cow pie, fast becoming notorious; the first floor is a more refined version of the same food (with concomitant price rise); and a top floor for private dining. The eco edge comes from their ingredient sourcing: the meat comes from the highly-regarded Frank Godfrey in Highbury, who in turn only sources traceable, organic, well-brought-up produce; the fruit and veg hail from Secrett’s in Surrey, every chef’s favourite veg supplier, completely pesticide and nasty-free. The ales are decidedly British, the cider is organic, and the fish is line caught or sustainable, which is a lot better than others are professing to do, and everything else is Fairtrade where appropriate. All of this may sound fairly standard by now, but it’s still not across the board, so to find that more and more restaurants are proudly stating their affiliations can only be a good thing, and make it easier to eat in an eco-friendly and sustainable fashion.

Of course, vegetarians are always going to have it that bit easier when it comes to ethical sourcing, as there’s none of that pesky meat to worry about. Vitaorganic Café in the Aveda shop in Marylebone has to be one of the most detoxifying experiences there is. The food is billed as organic, live and ‘enzymatic’ (which must be good, right?). They use no refined foodstuffs, and they use modern and ancient holistic principles to ‘cook’ their food. So, no temperatures above 100°C, no microwaves, no aluminium, or deep frying, so that everything is in its pure and natural state as far as is possible. According to Vitaorganic, they focus on UN – ultimate nutrition, ie raw foods; and ON – optimum nutrition, which means food cooked at a low temperature to prevent as much vitamin loss as possible. Not only is there all of this planet-loving energy-saving, but it’s all gluten and wheat free. The dishes on offer run along the lines of orange and sweet potato dhal, or green vegetable and sprouted buckwheat soup, which are not only delicious but filling and inexpensive to boot. Unsurprisingly, the owner is a practising Buddhist.

It’s impossible to have an eco-friendly list without mentioning the first and foremost runner in the eco-friendly stakes. The Duke of Cambridge in Islington remains one of the best and most ethically run gastropubs in the country, let alone London. It was way ahead of its time when it opened in 1998, pioneering seasonal, organic British food, using local sourcing, careful monitoring of food miles, buying direct from the farmers, and even now the beers are still brewed locally and the wines and spirits are organic where viable. The coffee is Fairtrade, and water is purified on the premises, and they have even installed wind and solar generated energy, along with strict recycling procedures and adherence to sustainable fish buying policies (which are so strict, they have been working with the Marine Conservation Society to make these rules more widespread). This has been a steady, ongoing development project over the last eight years, and it just goes to show that anyone can change their habits for the good, and still wow the diners (Won 2nd best bar in the UK 2006, as voted by Observer Food Monthly). The food remains rustic and true to its pub origins, with whole baked Camembert served with crudités and croutons or braised chuck beef with sweet potato mash.

The Food We Waste

In the UK we throw away 6.7 million tonnes of food every year, roughly a third of everything we buy. Most of this avoidable and could have been eaten if only we had planned, stored and managed it better. Less than a fifth is truly unavoidable – things like bones, cores and peelings.

Nearly one quarter of the 4.1 million tonnes of avoidable food waste is thrown away whole, untouched or unopened. Of this, at least 340,000 tonnes is still in date when thrown away. A further 1.2 million tonnes is simply left on our plates. This all adds up to a story of staggering wastefulness.

The report of the ground-breaking study that provides, for the first time, reliable information about the nature, amount and origin of food waste produced by UK households. The purpose of the report is to assist WRAP, government, retailers and the food industry to develop policies, advice, tips and tools to help us all reduce the amount of good food we buy but don’t eat.

You can download the full report here.

Every day we throw away:

• 5.1 million whole potatoes
• 4.4 million whole apples
• 2.8 million whole tomatoes
• 7 million whole slices of bread
• 1.3 million unopened yoghurts and yoghurt drinks
• 1.2 million sausages
• 1 million slices of ham
• 0.7 million whole eggs
• 0.7 million whole bars of chocolate and unwrapped sweets
• 0.3 million unopened meat-based ready meals or takeaways
• 0.3 million unopened packets of crisps

All this wasted food is costly; in the UK we spend £10.2 billion every year buying and then throwing away good food. That works out at £420 for the average UK household. And for households with children it’s even more - £610 a year.

Local councils then spend another £1 billion collecting our food waste and sending most of it to landfill.

Food waste is also harmful to the environment. The food we throw away needlessly is responsible for the equivalent of 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year – that’s the same as the CO2 emitted by one in every five cars on UK roads. It’s not just the methane that’s released when the food goes to landfill that’s the problem, but also the energy spent producing, storing and transporting the food to us. Put another way, every tonne of food we throw away needlessly is responsible for 4.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions.

Food waste is an enormous challenge, not least because most of us don’t yet recognise the amount we all produce. But it is also a massive opportunity – to reduce waste, save money and minimise our impact on the environment.

We can reduce our food waste by taking simple free measures;

• Sort your cupboards
  
  • Arrange your cupboards, fridge and freezer to ensure that you have no food which is past its "use by" date.
  • Arrange food by type and place in date order with the most recent date to the front.
  • You may find that you can survive without visiting the supermarket for a few weeks.
• Plan your meals
  
  • Plan in advance meals over a week, you do not need to physically write this down but mentally take note.
  • Be creative you can create some wonderful combinations from the scraps you find in a fridge.
• Plan your purchases
  
  • Plan in advance what you need from the supermarket.
  • Don't be tempted to buy items through special offers which you may not need or use within the use by date.
  • Do not buy items which you have multiples already.
    
  • Only purchase enough pershiables which you can use within the dates.
  • Do not go to the supermarket with "Eyes Bigger than Your Belly" and an empty stomach.
    
• Composting
  
  • Any food which you do not consume by the use by date can be added to a compost heap.
  • Packaged foods excessively past their best before date can be removed from their packaging and composted and the packaging recycled.
    
  • Compost bins can be purchased relatively cheaply and some local councils offer free compost bins.
    
  • Find Your Local Council Contact Details.

For more information on how to reduce food waste, visit WRAPs new site Love Food, Hate Waste.

The study, believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world, consisted of a detailed survey of households and a physical analysis of their rubbish. It was designed to not only quantify the amounts and types of food waste being produced but to make links between this and the attitudes displayed by and disposal options available to the household.

A representative sample of 2,715 households in England and Wales was interviewed in July-October 2007, and several weeks later the waste from 2,138 of them was collected and analysed. These households were all within a group of 11 geographically representative local authority areas chosen to reflect a range of collection systems, including food waste collections. Participants were asked about their perceptions on a range of issues concerning household waste, focusing on food.

Households were informed that as part of the research their waste would be collected for analysis, asked for their signed consent, and given the chance to opt out if they chose. Bin analysis was only carried out with those who consented, which was the vast majority. A period of four weeks then elapsed before their waste was collected for analysis to ensure that any temporary behaviour changes as a result of increased awareness of the research had dissipated.

We used industry standard waste analysis techniques to sort and categorise the waste. We then defined the food waste as either: avoidable food waste – where the food has been thrown away because it is no longer wanted or has been allowed to go past its best. Examples include an
apple or half a pack of cheese; possibly avoidable food waste – where the food waste could possibly have been avoided but incorporates food items that can be eaten but that many choose not to. Examples include bread crusts and potato skins; and unavoidable food waste – where the food waste results from food preparation and includes foods such as meat bones and hard vegetable or fruit peelings such as melon rind.

After analysis, the waste was disposed of safely on the same day, with the assistance of the local authority or their contractor. Where facilities existed – in just under half the authorities involved – the food waste was sent for composting. The result of this detailed survey and physical analysis is a comprehensive analysis of how much food we throw away, who is throwing it away, and what it costs society.

Top 100 Foods Wasted in UK by Weight

The following tables list the top 100 types of food making up avoidable food waste in terms of the estimated annual weight for all UK households. Avoidable food waste is made up of food items that could have been eaten if they had been managed or stored better. The food may not have been fit for consumption at the time of disposal because it had gone mouldy or had been spoilt or it may have been thrown away because it was no longer wanted. Avoidable food waste excludes items that could not have been eaten such as bones or items that some people choose not to eat like vegetable peelings or bread crusts. These tables include both items thrown away whole and those partially consumed.

Food type (Weight in tonnes, % of Avoidable Waste)

1. Potatoes (359,000, 9.7%)
2. Bread slices (328,000, 8.8%)
3. Apples (190,000, 5.1%)
4. Meat or Fish Mixed Meals (161,000, 4.2%)
5. World breads (e.g. naan, tortilla) (102,000, 2.7%)
6. Vegetable mixed meals (96,000, 2.6%)
7. Pasta mixed meals (87,000, 2.3%)
8. Bread rolls/baguettes (86,000, 2.3%)
9. Rice mixed meals (85,000, 2.3%)
10. Mixed meals (85,000, 2.3%)
11. Bananas (84,000, 2.3%)
12. Bread Loaves (75,000, 2.0%)
13. Yoghurts/Yoghurt Drinks (67,000, 1.8%)
14. Sandwiches (63,000, 1.7%)
15. Cakes (62,000, 1.7%)
16. Lettuces (61,000, 1.7%)
17. Tomatoes (61,000, 1.7%)
18. Cabbages (56,000, 1.5%)
19. Cooked rice (55,000, 1.5%)
20. Mixed vegetables (53,000, 1.4%)
21. Oranges (51,000, 1.4%)
22. Carrots (46,000, 1.2%)
23. Onions (43,000, 1.2%)
24. Pears (42,000, 1.1%)
25. Sodas (42,000, 1.1%)
26. Milk (40,000, 1.1%)
27. Cheese (40,000, 1.1%)
28. Mixed Salad (37,000, 1.0%)
29. Cooked Pasta (36,000, 1.0%)
30. Mixed Snacks (36,000, 1.0%)
31. Melons (35,000, 0.9%)
32. Coleslaw (33,000, 0.9%)
33. Pizzas (32,000, 0.9%)
34. Chicken Portions (32,000, 0.9%)
35. Cucumbers (32,000, 0.9%)
36. Chocolate/sweets (31,000, 0.8%)
37. Sweetcorn/Corn on the Cob (30,000, 0.8%)
38. Sausages (30,000, 0.8%)
39. Pork Portions (29,000, 0.8%)
40. Biscuits/Crackers/Crisp Breads (27,000, 0.7%)
41. Water (27,000, 0.7%)
42. Beans (excluding baked beans) (26,000, 0.7%)
43. Grapes (22,000, 0.6%)
44. Ham (22,000, 0.6%)
45. Plums (20,000, 0.6%)
46. Squashes/Cordials (20,000, 0.5%)
47. Breakfast cereals (20,000, 0.5%)
48. Cook-in sauces (19,000, 0.5%)
49. Fruit juices (19,000, 0.5%)
50. Eggs (19,000, 0.5%)
51. Fish (19,000, 0.5%)
52. Beef portions (18,000, 0.5%)
53. Dough (18,000, 0.5%)
54. Celery (17,000, 0.5%)
55. Strawberries (16,000, 0.4%)
56. Peppers (15,000, 0.4%)
57. Chicken drumsticks (15,000, 0.4%)
58. Flour (15,000, 0.4%)
59. Chicken breasts (15,000, 0.4%)
60. Mushrooms (15,000, 0.4%)
61. Broccoli (15,000, 0.4%)
62. Sandwich spreads (14,000, 0.4%)
63. Baked beans (14,000, 0.4%)
64. Bacon (14,000, 0.4%)
65. Peaches (13,000, 0.4%)
66. Milkshakes/milk drinks (13,000, 0.4%)
67. Crisps (12,000, 0.3%)
68. Lemons (12,000, 0.3%)
69. Beetroots (12,000, 0.3%)
70. Fruit pies/strudels/crumbles (12,000, 0.3%)
71. Jams (11,000, 0.3%)
72. Pheasants (11,000, 0.3%)
    
73. Dips (10,000, 0.3%)
    
74. Mixed fruits (10,000 0.3%)
    
75. Butter/margarine (10,000 0.3%)
    
76. Herbs/spices (10,000 0.3%)
    
77. Dessert cakes/gateaux (9000, 0.2%)
    
78. Cream (9000, 0.2%)
    
79. Pineapples (9000, 0.2%)
    
80. Crumpets (9000, 0.2%)
    
81. Pastry (9000, 0.2%)
    
82. Chicken products (9000, 0.2%)
    
83. Pet food (9000, 0.2%)
    
84. Yorkshire pudding and other batters (8000, 0.2%)
    
85. Cauliflowers (8000, 0.2%)
    
86. Uncooked pasta (8000, 0.2%)
    
87. Leeks (8000, 0.2%)
    
88. Milk puddings (custard etc) (8000, 0.2%)
    
89. Doughnuts (8000, 0.2%)
    
90. Oils (8000, 0.2%)
    
91. Mayonnaise/salad cream (7000, 0.2%)
    
92. Spring onions (6000, 0.2%)
    
93. Peas (6000, 0.2%)
    
94. Turnips/swedes (6000, 0.2%)
    
95. Parsnips (6000, 0.2%)
    
96. Burgers (6000, 0.2%)
    
97. Lamb (6000, 0.2%)
    
98. Pickles (6000, 0.2%)
    
99. Nuts (6000, 0.2%)
    
100. Mangos (6000, 0.2%)

Source: WRAP

Are Kangaroos the Solution to Cow Farts?

In breaking news from Australia today (no pun intended), scientist are working on a viable solution to the methane emissions from cows and sheep. In recent years cows have be one of those blamed for Global Warming. And in 1989 a New Scientist article accused cows of being responsible for 100m tonnes of methane released into the atmostphere annually. Methane like carbon dioxide, traps infrared radiation that would otherwise escape into space. Indeed, molecule for molecule, it traps 25 times as much of the Sun's heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Hence the concern about the methane in the farts of cattle, whose world population has doubled in the past 40 years. There is roughly one head of cattle for every four human beings.

"Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep, and if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent"
Athol Klieve, Senior Research Scientist, Queensland State Government

Kangaroo flatulence contains no methane, thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas. In addition to the environmental benefits, if successful the scientists believe that the new efficient digestive system would reduce the food intake of the livestock. Reducing feed costs for farmers.

Scientist believe it will take at least three years to isolate the bacteria that gives kangaroos green farts, whilst others believe we should simply move to eating more kangaroos. It might take a while for kangaroos to become popular barbecue fare, but with concern over global warming growing in the world's driest inhabited continent, Australians could soon be ready to try almost anything to cut emissions.

New Products Added to Carbon Label Scheme

Video (Only Availabe to UK Residents)
The Carbon Trust announced today that a further nine brands will add carbon labels to at least one product. Walkers, Boots and Innocent added labels to one of their products in March 2007, which I commented on in July and suggested that it would be encouraging to see more companies doing the same. The nine new brands to sign up to the scheme are;

• Coca-Cola
  One still and one sparkling drink
• Cadbury's Schwepps
  Dairy Milk chocolate bar
• Kimberly-Clark
  Andrex toilet tissure and Huggies nappies
  
• Aggregate Industries
  Hard Landscaping Products (paving stones etc)
• The Co-operative Group
  200g and 400g punnet of strawberries
• Halifax
  Halifax Web Saver account
• Marshalls
  Hard landscaping products (paving stones etc)
• Muller Dairy (UK) Limited
  One type of yoghurt
  
• Scottish & Newcastle
  Fosters lager and Bulmers cider

I am encouraged to see the varying brands and products that will be added to the scheme and this will further assist consumers in buying decisions. It is also interesting to see that for the first time two competing brands in the same industry are working to label their products, and how each vary will be a talking point for the future.

"It is encouraging that so many top companies were "stepping up to the plate" on the issue of climate change. The take-up from business of the Carbon Trust's scheme shows that there's real appetite and willingness to firstly understand, and secondly to reduce the impact that their products have on our planet."
Joan Ruddock, Climate Change Minister

Each company that signs up to the scheme must commit for a minimum of two years to reduce their carbon footprint. Following the Carbon Trust guidelines each company is given a "reduce or lose" clause whereby, if they don't reduce their emissions within this time the label usage will be revoked.

"The unprecedented level of interest we have had in this initiative makes me confident that by working with manufacturers and producers to reduce indirect carbon emissions, we can move the UK another step closer to a low carbon economy"
Tom Delay, Chief Executive, Carbon Trust

The expansion of the carbon label is another step towards reducing the UK annual carbon emissions of 648m tonnes, as each new company signs up to the scheme and labels their products it offers consumers a new choice, and the commitment of the brand they support that they are actively working to reduce the impact of their product on the environment. It makes financial sense that each brand will be commited to the reduction, least not the red faces should they not.

What's in Season from Your Local Farmer?

Buying locally is often difficult at the best of the times, but knowing what is in season and buying accordingly is one way to find what you are looking for, you don't have to comprimise too much as a wide variety of foods are available all year around.

| All | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |

To find details of your nearest farmers markets (England, Scotland & Wales), or in Northern Ireland at the Ulster Farmers Union website.

Carbon Labelling

Video (Only Availabe to UK Residents)

Since 2001, Walkers have been working with the Carbon Trust to improve their environmental performance through reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions. As part of a project which started in 2005, the two organisations teamed together to map out the carbon footprint of a bag of Walkers Cheese & Onion crisps.

So how exactly do you measure a carbon footprint of an individual product? Well to calculate the footprint of Walkers Crisps the Carbon Trust looked at the key stages in Walkers supply chain from sowing potato and sunflower seeds, to getting the crisps on the shelves, to finally disposing of the packet. From this they calculated the energy consumption directly involved in each of these stages, and converting this into the resulting amount of carbon emissions. The results from each were then accumulated to give an overall figure.

The final result equated to 75g of CO2 per 34.5g of Cheese & Onion crisps. Walkers plan to calculate the carbon footprint of all their products.

"We wholeheartedly believe that taking action to raise awareness of carbon as an issue is the right thing to do and are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of our products. We hope this will empower people to make more informed choices about the products they are buying."
Neil Campbell, Walkers Crisps

It is always a pleasure to see an international market leading brand focus on how it can improve its environmental impact, the implementation of energy saving initiatives throughout the supply chain will benefit the company through proportional cost savings. The fact that they have implemented a concept from the Carbon Trust, known as the "Carbon Label" which in order to carry the stamp the brand must make a solemn promise to reduce their CO2 emissions, has been mildly discussed in the UK already (that products should be marked with details of its carbon footprint or to a lesser extent if they were imported by air). Hopefully we will see other brands follow Walkers, Boots (Organic Shampoo - 148g) and Innocent (Smoothies - 294g) lead by mapping out their environmental impact and displaying it on their products, allowing consumers to make informed choices next time they shop, because it is what 66% of consumers want according to research conducted amongst 1159 consumers from across the UK by GfK NOP during October 2006.

As part of their partnership Walkers and the Carbon Trust have reduced the carbon footprint per pack by 33%. Maybe next time you see a bag of Walkers they won't say "70% less saturated fat", they might say "33% less CO2 emissions".

Green Labels: Organic Produce

Organic farming requires farmers to operate to a system based on ecological principles and imposes strict limits on the inputs like artificial chemical fertilisers and pesticides that can be used.

The use of the word “organic” is controlled by law and can be used on food products only if they are produced according to regulations, and farmers and processors must be certified by an approved organisation. In the UK the following are approved organisations capable of certifying produce as organic; (For Addresses & Telephone Numbers)

Organic Farmers and Growers Ltd
Scottish Organic Producers Association
Organic Food Federation
Soil Association Certification Ltd
Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association
Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association
Organic Trust Limited
CMi Certification
Quality Welsh Food Certification Ltd
Ascisco Ltd

As well as the standards set out in regulations for organic food there are private standards used by authorised bodies for other products like textiles, cosmetics, wood products and composts. Compliance with these standards is dealt with under general consumer protection law.

There is no requirement to display a logo, but the certification number must be used in the labelling of certified organic products (eg “Organic Certification: UK 1”). The main picture includes two logos used by the Soil Association and Organic Farmers & Growers certification organisations.

Green Labels: Food

These are examples of food labels that focus on environmental aspects of food production.

Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF)
The LEAF Marque is about Linking Environment and Farming. It is one of the approaches to farm management that gives you the choice to buy affordable food produced by farmers who are committed to improving the environment for the benefit of wildlife and the countryside.





The Marine Stewardship Council
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has set an internationally recognised environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. It is based on healthy fish stocks, a thriving marine environment and effective management. The MSC logo appears on over 80 products in the UK retail and foodservice sector.