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Update Date: 07/17/2008 16:30 Reporter: Wei Liwen, Huang Langqian / Taipei Report
Global food shortages and soaring food prices have been observed, but a survey found that poor refrigerator management among Taiwanese leads to food spoilage, with an average of NT$66 worth of food discarded weekly. It is estimated that 7.5 million households in Taiwan discard food worth up to NT$25.8 billion annually, which could provide 223,000 schoolchildren with 20 years of nutritious lunches.
Taipei Medical University Hospital and a food storage container company conducted a survey on "National Food Preservation Awareness and Behavior" from June 20 to 23, interviewing 733 people by phone, with 646 valid samples. The survey found that Taiwanese have poor refrigerator management concepts, with 90% of people not washing and sorting food before storing it in the refrigerator using plastic bags and cling film, leading to food spoilage; 92% have experienced discarding food, with 70% discarding it because it has been stored for too long and they cannot determine if it is still fresh. Moreover, 10% of people discard food more than three times a month.
Su Xiuyue, director of the Nutrition Department at Taipei Medical University Hospital, pointed out that by multiplying the weekly procurement cost of each household by the average discard rate, it is estimated that each Taiwanese household discards about NT$66 worth of food weekly. If each household discards NT$66 weekly, 7.5 million households in Taiwan would discard NT$25.8 billion worth of food annually on average.
Su Xiuyue said that cherishing food does not mean encouraging everyone to eat everything in the refrigerator regardless of hygiene. Poor refrigerator management can lead to the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Clostridium botulinum, etc., causing mild symptoms like nausea and vomiting, or severe food poisoning.
Su Xiuyue pointed out that attention should be paid to the refrigerator temperature regularly, with the freezer maintained at -4℃ to -7℃ and the refrigerator at 0℃ to 5℃. The refrigerator should be no more than 80% full to allow cold air to circulate and maintain the refrigerator's coldness. Additionally, raw food should be placed on the lower shelves to prevent the overflow of blood from fresh food, avoid repeated thawing, and use sealed containers to extend the food's shelf life.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 080717/ 2/ 13en4. html
Annual Food Waste Could Feed 220,000 Students for 20 Years
Global food shortages and soaring food prices have been observed, but a survey found that poor refrigerator management among Taiwanese leads to food spoilage, with an average of NT$66 worth of food discarded weekly. It is estimated that 7.5 million households in Taiwan discard food worth up to NT$25.8 billion annually, which could provide 223,000 schoolchildren with 20 years of nutritious lunches.
Taipei Medical University Hospital and a food storage container company conducted a survey on "National Food Preservation Awareness and Behavior" from June 20 to 23, interviewing 733 people by phone, with 646 valid samples. The survey found that Taiwanese have poor refrigerator management concepts, with 90% of people not washing and sorting food before storing it in the refrigerator using plastic bags and cling film, leading to food spoilage; 92% have experienced discarding food, with 70% discarding it because it has been stored for too long and they cannot determine if it is still fresh. Moreover, 10% of people discard food more than three times a month.
Su Xiuyue, director of the Nutrition Department at Taipei Medical University Hospital, pointed out that by multiplying the weekly procurement cost of each household by the average discard rate, it is estimated that each Taiwanese household discards about NT$66 worth of food weekly. If each household discards NT$66 weekly, 7.5 million households in Taiwan would discard NT$25.8 billion worth of food annually on average.
Su Xiuyue said that cherishing food does not mean encouraging everyone to eat everything in the refrigerator regardless of hygiene. Poor refrigerator management can lead to the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Clostridium botulinum, etc., causing mild symptoms like nausea and vomiting, or severe food poisoning.
Su Xiuyue pointed out that attention should be paid to the refrigerator temperature regularly, with the freezer maintained at -4℃ to -7℃ and the refrigerator at 0℃ to 5℃. The refrigerator should be no more than 80% full to allow cold air to circulate and maintain the refrigerator's coldness. Additionally, raw food should be placed on the lower shelves to prevent the overflow of blood from fresh food, avoid repeated thawing, and use sealed containers to extend the food's shelf life.
Source: http://tw. news. yahoo. com/ article/ url/ d/ a/ 080717/ 2/ 13en4. html