What happens to your food waste? (image from USEPA Environmental-Protection-Agency)
A study has found that Malaysians are throwing away up to 930 tonnes of unconsumed food daily. Ironically, we Malaysians love food so why waste the one thing that we are known to love most? The regular flurry of news reports on food shortages and the global food crisis have failed to alert us on the importance of being thrifty and humble to contribute towards sustaining global food supplies.
The multi-racial of Malaysian food is simply glorious. We are blessed with such diverse food options that spice up our daily food consumption. Perhaps such diversity has led to our insatiable appetite for food at one sitting which eventually leads to a huge costly waste. At any time of the day, any type of food is easily available. We now have more restaurants that serve fusion food, making us more impulsively greedy in making our selections. Go to any of these restaurants and you might have a hard time making up your mind on whether to have a plate of Chinese fried rice or Sizzling Lamb Chop because the striking pictures in the menu send you drooling over them right away. Eventually, you ordered both items. The reality is you can’t clean your plate even before the dessert arrives. Such a waste.
Simplicity and balance are what missing in our meals. A balanced diet for a normal Malay family may consist of a plate of rice, a vegetable dish and a main dish (chicken curry, chili beef etc). Sometimes, when the main dish is dry, soup is served. Dessert is optional. Perhaps a bowl of porridge for lunch with some condiments? A plain sandwich would also suffice for any meal of the day. Why not? Such items are healthy, simple and economical, reducing the amount of leftover which might end up in the garbage bin.
We definitely do not want to pay the price for our own greed and selfishness. It’s time we find ways to reduce food waste in our landfills and become a more conscious food consumers. Malaysia boleh or tak boleh?
[source: http://ehomemakers-malaysia.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-we-greedy-and-guilty-malaysians.html]
News from ChinaPress:
（吉隆坡7日讯）农业及农基工业部副部长拿督蔡智勇说，国人每天浪费930吨食物，相等于9万3000包10公斤装的白米。
根据马大一名教授阿卡慕都，最近公佈的调查报告显示，国人每天浪费的食物量高达930吨，许多民眾或许觉得不多，但他们不知道每天都在浪费著9万3000包10公斤装的白米。
他说，民眾应该懂得珍惜食物，每次用餐时，应依照自己的胃口进食，並非叫了一堆食物，却吃不下。
蔡智勇今日出席“马来西亚青年绿动”活动后，在记者会这么说。
垃圾量可填满42双塔楼
其他出席者包括马来西亚青年绿动发源人林德和。
蔡智勇指出，除了浪费食物之外，在2007年的一项调查也显示，民眾在一年內製造的垃圾量，可以填满42座吉隆坡双塔楼。
“民眾每天製造约0.8公斤的垃圾，而巴生谷民眾则是1.5公斤，而一年內则是730万吨垃圾量，所以刚好可以填满42座吉隆坡双塔楼。”
他说，上述只是4年前的资料，如今我国人口已经增加不少，所以民眾应该要开始响应环保。
他举例，政府部门和机构的冷气温度，限制在摄氏24度，这將减少使用4-7%的电量，所以这能够带来很大效应。
另外，马来西亚青年绿动即日开始寻找100位环保达人，协助该组织宣传环保活动。
如果民眾对环保有任何的计划，可以把计划书电邮至my4green@gmail.com。
[source: http://www.chinapress.com.my/node/275209]