Food waste is a current problem, felt more and more in Romania. Statistics show that, annually, we throw tons of food in the trash, and the financial losses are significant.
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According to data collected by the European Union and the United Nations, thousands of tons of food end up in the trash every day, just in Romania. Globally, the situation is worrying, and experts claim that the main culprits are the consumers themselves.
Romanians, champions of food waste
Statistics show that, in Romania, 6,000 tons of food end up in the trash every day. Thus, following a simple calculation, we can see that Romanians waste more than 2.2 million tons of food annually.
This means that every Romanian throws away, every year, approximately 129 kilograms of food, meaning one meal a day.
The same statistics also show that six out of ten foods that end up in the trash come from households, three out of ten from the HORECA industry, and one food out of ten from the retail industry.
“We eat chaotically and throw tons of food away”
According to data collected by the European Union and the United Nations, one of the primary sources of food waste is the refrigerator in the home. Nutritionist Mihaela Ifrose explained the tendency of Romanians to buy and eat chaotically, without thinking about the consequences.
“If we go to a supermarket and look in a shopping basket, we are horrified. Romanians buy a lot, they buy chaotically, they don't have a food plan. Because of this we also have many cases of obesity. Certainly, a lot of the food we buy ends up in the garbage, because a normal person can never eat as much as he buys“, stated the nutritionist Mihaela Ifrose.
At the same time, the specialists come with advice for Romanians, to help them stop food waste.
“It is best to start with a plan at home, a written plan. We are talking about the shopping list, which should be there, every time. Also, it would be good to plan our main meals for a few days in advance and buy accordingly. It is also not good to go shopping when we are hungry, because then we tend to buy more products. Many Romanians do not have order in the refrigerator. Thus, they cannot keep a proper record of their food and end up buying things they already have at home. Our way of life, our health is reflected in the food waste we do“, added the nutritionist.
