17/12/2024

The holidays are just around the corner, which means it’s that time of year when people often cook too much and a lot of edible food ends up in the trash. Apart from the negative impact of this needlessly produced food on the environment and your own wallet, throwing food in the bin should be an absolute no-go from an ethical point of view alone.

It is easy to avoid unnecessary food waste, even during the holidays, by following these 8 rules:

• Shop wisely: Check the contents of your fridge, freezer and pantry before you go shopping. Put together a menu and write a shopping list with quantities. When you see tempting offers, make sure you really need the goods. Reach for products that are about to expire, but only if you are going to consume or use them immediately.
  Buy locally produced food that is seasonal by nature. At regionalsaisonal.lu, the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Viticulture for seasonal food from regional production, you will find interesting videos about Luxembourg producers, recipe ideas for each season and a seasonal calendar. At sou-schmaacht-letzebuerg.lu you will find a directory of Luxembourg food producers. Information about the ‘Moselle Luxembourgeoise’ wine-growing region, the winegrowers and the grape varieties grown can be found at vins-cremants.lu.
• Give ugly fruit and vegetables a chance: Ugly or no longer fresh fruit and vegetables are offered at reduced prices in many shops. Take advantage of this when planning meals where the appearance of the products is not important, such as soups, purees or curries. After all, these foods taste the same.
• Do not interrupt the cold chain: Plan your shopping day so that you do the food shopping at the end and then drive straight home to store the products correctly. Take an insulated bag for fresh produce such as dairy products, meat or fish. It is important that these products are stored in a cool place from the moment they are produced until they are consumed.
• Stock your fridge correctly: When you organise your fridge, make sure that products with an approaching use-by or best-before date are placed at the front. Place products that will keep for longer at the back. It also makes a difference where you put the products, because it is colder at the bottom of the fridge than at the top, and it is warmest in the door.
• Store food properly: Fruit and vegetables need to be stored differently depending on the variety. Dairy products, bread and baked goods, meat and fish, cheese, eggs, dry goods – all foods need to be stored according to their properties so that they stay fresh and edible for as long as possible.
• Check the shelf life: It is important to know the difference between the best-before date, the date of minimum durability (à consommer de préférence avant…) and the use-by date (à consommer jusqu’au…).
  • The best-before date is found on products such as pasta, rice, quinoa, biscuits, canned food or coffee. It is a quality date up to which the manufacturer guarantees the characteristic properties of the product. Many foods are still edible after this date, so it’s important to look, smell and taste them.
  • The expiry date is on easily perishable foods such as fresh milk, minced meat or poultry. It is a throw-away date. If this date has expired, the food should no longer be consumed as it may be harmful to your health.
• Don’t take too big a portion: If you are serving guests during the holidays, serve small portions and explain that they can have seconds. This way, the leftover food can be reused.
• Use leftovers creatively: Most leftover food from the holidays can be used in other dishes the next day. When it comes to leftover cooking, the rule is: just try it out!