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How often are you throwing away food?  

If it’s regularly, you’re in good company.  While food waste occurs at every stage of the supply chain, from farmers, to packers, to retailers, 43% of all food produced in the United States is thrown away at the household level, followed by 40% at the retail level, including restaurants and grocers, according to Earth.org.  

The top three most wasted foods are grain products (namely bread), milk and potatoes.  

And half of the produce we purchase gets thrown away simply due to appearance, not because it actually spoiled.

A recent survey on food waste showed that Floridians, on average, throw away $835 worth of groceries each year.  

With the sky-high cost of groceries, the last thing we want is to throw away food.

Confusion on storage guidelines and stamped dates have contributed to much of the food waste from consumers (and retailers).  

The same survey found that almost 49% of respondents said they don’t eat food beyond the sell-by date, and 30% inaccurately believed the use-by date meant the last day the food was edible.  

These terms indicate freshness, not food safety, so don’t throw out that food just yet (the landfills and your wallet will thank you):

• “Best if used by” or “best before”: indicates when a food is at its best quality or flavor.  It is not related to food safety and can be eaten beyond this date, though it may not taste as fresh.
• “Sell-by”: how long a store can display the product for sale for inventory purposes.  It is not related to food safety and can be eaten beyond this date.  
• “Use-by”: the last day at peak quality (similar to “best if used by”).  It is not related to food safety and can be eaten beyond this date. Two exceptions: baby food and infant formula should not be eaten past this date.  

Dairy can be consumed five to seven days past the “sell by” date, and eggs are still good three to five weeks after this date.  

Deli meat and cheese are good up to four days after slicing, provided it was stored and handled correctly (ie: not left out at room temperature for over 2 hours).

What about fresh food like fruits and vegetables that don’t necessarily have a marked date?  

Just because something is softening or wrinkling doesn’t necessarily mean there’s bacterial growth, just that it’s getting overripe and should be eaten or cooked sooner rather than later.  

Signs it’s time to toss them: liquid is expelling, there is an off odor, mold growth or it feels slimy.  

As for leftovers, they can be kept in the fridge for three to four days.  Eat them by then or freeze them.

A few ways to reduce food waste:

• The FoodKeeper app from the USDA, (as well as their website FoodSafety.gov) gives easy access to information on food storage and product dating.  Simply type in a food item and it will tell you when to throw it out.
• If you have food going bad soon and need ideas on what to do with it, there are apps and websites, such as Recipe Matcher, My Fridge Food, and Super Cook where you can enter your current ingredients on hand and it will suggest recipes for you.
• You can also make Thursday Night Soup a new tradition in your home.  The term comes from the factory days when workers would get paid on Friday, so Thursday night would be a soup made from whatever food was still left.  

If you think you’re one of those Floridians that throw away over $800 in food a year, that’s a sign you may be shopping impulsively and may not be meal planning.  

Have a plan for everything you put in your shopping cart so it doesn’t end up forgotten about in the back of the fridge going bad.

And always shop your refrigerator and pantry before creating your meal plan for ideas first based on what you currently have, saving money at the store and preventing food waste.

Have excess overripe vegetables?  

Shari Bresin is the Family & Consumer Science Agent for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Pasco County, An Equal Opportunity Institution .

Vegetable soup is an easy way to use them up, whether or not it’s Thursday:

Garden Vegetable Soup

(source: University of Maryland Extension):

Servings: 6

Ingredients
Non-stick cooking spray
2 carrots, washed and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 cups low-sodium broth (beef, chicken or vegetable)
1 cup green cabbage, washed and chopped
1 (14 ounce) can green beans, no salt added, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 zucchini, washed and chopped

Directions
In a large sauce pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, cook the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat for 5 minutes.
Add broth, cabbage, green beans, tomatoes and Italian seasoning; bring to a boil.
Cover, lower heat. Simmer about 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.
Stir in zucchini and heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Serve hot.
Refrigerate leftovers.