Food - Drink
Here's What Your Local Grocery Store Likely Does With Old Produce
By SYLVIA TOMCZAK
Food waste is inevitable because supermarket shelves and produce displays are filled with tens of thousands of food items, not all of which will be consumed before they expire. So what precisely do your local grocery stores do with food that is past its prime?
Each year, over $161 billion of our nation's food supply is lost for several reasons, including spoilage during or after manufacturing, retailers placing excessive orders, and even customer overconsumption. The EPA has created a food recovery hierarchy that outlines that there should be an emphasis on decreasing the volume of surplus food.
Then comes feeding the hungry, feeding the animals, recycling garbage for industrial use, and composting before food waste ends up in landfills. Most of any close-to-expiring fruits, vegetables, or meats are typically used to prepare items for their deli counter and salad bar, with the rest going to food banks or being sold to salvage shops.