Strange, an
article about waste food in the Guardian and no mention of the methane that it will produce when for the most part it inevitably ends up in a landfill site. The methane is a result of anaerobic decomposition and is apparently one of the main culprits when it comes to so-called greenhouse gases. The obvious answer for some waste food-stuffs at least would be that sacred cow of the ethical lifer, the esteemed "compost heap". Alas no because, wait for it, the desired aerobic decomposition produces carbon dioxide! Albeit that carbon dioxide is nowhere near as potent a "greenhouse" gas as methane is. Still, it now seems that the much beloved compost heap now too requires some sort of "carbon offset". That this will now be vexing some
scientifically-challenged, self-proclaimed member of the ethical brigade (Islington Branch) causes me a small but appreciable degree of
schadenfreude. And on a Sunday too, double word score!
On another tack, much of the waste is probably caused by ultra-cautious adherence to "use-by" dates. I recall some time back a chef being reported in the media as saying that most people no longer seemed to be able to discern for themselves when food was "off" or not by using either their senses of smell and taste. Instead they relied solely on the "use-by" date. Another instance of where we lose an ability once we pass responsibility over to a supposedly more "expert" authority? Of course, one mustn't forget that supermarkets are generally considered as a sort of retail "axis of evil" so it would be no great surpise to learn that they may err generously on the side of safety when it comes to ascribing use-by dates. Just so that their beloved consumer doesn't fall ill from quaffing some out of date balsamic vinegar (and subsequently sue them). Much better that he/she chuck it out and buy a nice new fresh bottle instead and help their sales figures at the same time.
Labels: carbon dioxide, methane, waste food
