Difference between food loss and food waste

Firstly, we are going to describe those two concepts that are often used interchangeably. 

Food loss represents any edible food that goes uneaten before the food reaches the consumer. It occurs during the stages of production, storage and food processing. 

Food waste is the amount of food that is wasted during the distribution and consumption stage. It includes dish leftovers, food rotting in our homes, etc.

How to reduce food waste?

We give you 5 tips that can have a big impact:

1. 1. Plan your meals for the week. Organization is key. It will help you eat healthier, limit what you buy to what you are planning to consume and avoid food waste.
   2. Buy food wisely. Once you have the weekly menu, making a shopping list allows you to know exactly what you need to buy avoiding impulse purchases. It is very important to take into account the expiration dates when buying.
   3. Properly store food. Freeze food as quickly as possible to preserve its nutritional quality as much as possible. Placing foods in a certain order in the refrigerator can affect their preservation. For example, foods that spoil first, such as raw meat and fish, should go at the bottom since it is the coldest part. 
   4. Use the whole vegetable. There are many edible parts of vegetables that are often wasted. For example, the green part of leeks, onions, carrots and radishes; the peel/skin of cucumbers and pumpkins; or the  broccoli and cauliflower stems.
   5. Properly store leftovers. If you don’t eat everything you prepare, keep it for later. If it’s not going to be consumed within two days, it is preferable to freeze it. Always place the food in the freezer after it has been previously cooled. Label the freezing date on the package.

Avoiding food waste is everyone’s responsibility. These simple tips will help you buy food according to your needs and make sure you consume it safely. 

New LogMeal functionality

Thanks to AI Food Detection and Recognition, LogMeal API can estimate food waste or leftovers of a registered intake. This means we can get the real information of what the user has eaten and what has been wasted by taking a picture before and after the meal.

If you are interested in using the new LogMeal Food Waste functionality, contact us to customize your plan and adapt it to your needs.