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Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar University marked the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2021.On the occasion, Tahra El-Obeid, head of Human Nutrition Department at QU, said, “Food surplus is a global problem and Qatar University has been working on a number of projects to solve it.
“For example, one of the projects aims to convert surplus food into different types of food, while another project seeks to transform vegetables and fruits into long-life products.
“Food production requires use of natural resources. Our projects are important because they reduce food loss and waste, enabling efficient use of resource.” Dr. Reema Tayyem, professor of Human Nutrition, said, “The problem is not that there is too little food but rather the availability of and accessibility to food; both factors determine the food security of the population. “The world has seen surplus food production for more than five decades, while 15 percent of the world’s population face hunger, and another 20 percent are overweight; so the problem is the distribution of this surplus.
“A just social and political system and planning for solid infrastructure will lead to greater access to food markets, giving disadvantaged populations better access to food.”
Dr Zumin Shi, professor of Human Nutrition, said, “Reducing food waste is a task many governments are facing. It requires the collaboration of all stakeholders.
“Research is vital as it not only provides the technical parts of food production, packaging, and transportation but also generates evidence to be used in policymaking.
“Research and intervention in consumers’ behaviour can help make a healthy food choice and reduce the frequency of eating out of the home.”
Dr Abdlehamid Kerkadi, associate professor of Human Nutrition, said the world has witnessed a remarkable rise in the number of people suffering from starvation. “On the other hand, we see an increase in the amount of food wasted annually, especially in high-income countries. The insufficient availability of food leads to a high rate of starvation in the world. Hence it is important to preserve food and rationalise the amount of food consumed by the affluent families.”
Dr Vijay Ganji, professor of Human Nutrition, said: “According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO), about one third of edible food (1.3 billion tonnes) produced for human consumption is wasted. The estimated economic loss of this food waste is $1 trillion. Based on the research food loss and food waste are directly linked to global food security in both short-term and long-term. Food loss happens when food is lost during production, after harvesting, and during industrial processing. Food waste happens at the end of supply chain by whole sellers, retailers, and consumers. In high and middle-income countries, majority of the food is wasted at the end of supply chain by consumers. Reduction of food waste and loss throughout the supply chain should be at the forefront of global campaign in improving food security.”
Grace Attieh, teaching assistant of Human Nutrition, said: “The simplest ways to reduce food waste as a consumer are: Reduce purchased food quantities; refer to prepared shopping list while in the supermarket; organise the kitchen and store food properly respecting the storage temperature; refer to a weekly menu; freeze leftovers or recycle it in a new plate; preserve food in salt, vinegar or sugar to increase its shelf life; and use wet food as source of compost.”
Doha
Qatar University marked the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2021.On the occasion, Tahra El-Obeid, head of Human Nutrition Department at QU, said, “Food surplus is a global problem and Qatar University has been working on a number of projects to solve it.
“For example, one of the projects aims to convert surplus food into different types of food, while another project seeks to transform vegetables and fruits into long-life products.
“Food production requires use of natural resources. Our projects are important because they reduce food loss and waste, enabling efficient use of resource.” Dr. Reema Tayyem, professor of Human Nutrition, said, “The problem is not that there is too little food but rather the availability of and accessibility to food; both factors determine the food security of the population. “The world has seen surplus food production for more than five decades, while 15 percent of the world’s population face hunger, and another 20 percent are overweight; so the problem is the distribution of this surplus.
“A just social and political system and planning for solid infrastructure will lead to greater access to food markets, giving disadvantaged populations better access to food.”
Dr Zumin Shi, professor of Human Nutrition, said, “Reducing food waste is a task many governments are facing. It requires the collaboration of all stakeholders.
“Research is vital as it not only provides the technical parts of food production, packaging, and transportation but also generates evidence to be used in policymaking.
“Research and intervention in consumers’ behaviour can help make a healthy food choice and reduce the frequency of eating out of the home.”
Dr Abdlehamid Kerkadi, associate professor of Human Nutrition, said the world has witnessed a remarkable rise in the number of people suffering from starvation. “On the other hand, we see an increase in the amount of food wasted annually, especially in high-income countries. The insufficient availability of food leads to a high rate of starvation in the world. Hence it is important to preserve food and rationalise the amount of food consumed by the affluent families.”
Dr Vijay Ganji, professor of Human Nutrition, said: “According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO), about one third of edible food (1.3 billion tonnes) produced for human consumption is wasted. The estimated economic loss of this food waste is $1 trillion. Based on the research food loss and food waste are directly linked to global food security in both short-term and long-term. Food loss happens when food is lost during production, after harvesting, and during industrial processing. Food waste happens at the end of supply chain by whole sellers, retailers, and consumers. In high and middle-income countries, majority of the food is wasted at the end of supply chain by consumers. Reduction of food waste and loss throughout the supply chain should be at the forefront of global campaign in improving food security.”
Grace Attieh, teaching assistant of Human Nutrition, said: “The simplest ways to reduce food waste as a consumer are: Reduce purchased food quantities; refer to prepared shopping list while in the supermarket; organise the kitchen and store food properly respecting the storage temperature; refer to a weekly menu; freeze leftovers or recycle it in a new plate; preserve food in salt, vinegar or sugar to increase its shelf life; and use wet food as source of compost.”
