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KT For Good: You won't run out of food, don't shop in bulk

The ninth part of our 14-day 'Save Food, Save Lives' series looks into the root cause of food waste in households - bulk shopping.

Have you ever wondered where all the food waste in your home is coming from - like that two-litre bottle of curdled milk and huge bag of bad oranges? Not from the kitchen, experts say. It actually begins in your favourite supermarket, where you always shop in bulk.
A cross-section of families, individuals and even commercial organisations have said that unplanned 'shopping in bulk' is one of the biggest causes of food waste in households across the country.
Khaleej Times conducted an online poll asking readers if 'they shop with a grocery list to avoid unnecessary purchases'. Though 62 per cent of the 1,956 respondents said they do shop with a weekly meal plan in mind, 38 per cent said they go to the store without a grocery list.
Take Jeevan Mathew, an Indian living in Sharjah, for example. An accounting professional, Jeevan and his wife Mini work in a challenging 9am-to-6pm work environment.
"We don't have time to cook, forget meal planning. Since eating out is detrimental to the family's health, we try and cook at least twice a week," said Jeevan.
But it has recently come to the family's attention that they have been throwing away a lot of spoilt leftovers, as well as fruits and vegetables. "It's a waste of money and precious fresh food. Now, we are trying to shop more of non-perishable food items, and we order in vegetables from an online organic store, 'Farm Chimp', once a week. This keeps our vegetables and fruits fresh, and we cook them immediately. We freeze the vegetables that are uncooked," he said.
Severe food wastage is also observed in fruit and vegetable markets across the UAE.
Jamal Ibrahim, a storekeeper at the fruits and vegetables market in Al Aweer, said he has witnessed how people buy several kilos of fresh food for a relatively small household.
"Since we sell our products at rates that are cheaper than those found in big supermarkets, people think they are purchasing the items at a bargain. But if the food goes unused, it is a waste of money," Ibrahim said.
"Sometimes, a family of four buys crates of seasonal fruits and vegetables. During the mango season, we witness this often. Unless you are prepared to make jams and pickles out of the mangoes, there is no reason to buy so many. There have been times when people have returned with the fruits a week later, saying we sold them spoilt produce and asking for a refund."
Nazia Rashidee, a graduate of a home professional programme from the School of Culinary and Finishing Arts, Dubai, said people have the tendency to assume that if they don't have plenty of food at hand, they will run out of it during the week. "This takes place due to lack of planning. If you plan your meals a week in advance, setting a day or two for flexible eating, then wastage will be minimal," she said.
Busy residents can also use the help of meal kit providers to save time and food.
A meal kit subscription plan provider, like Hello Chef, usually delivers fresh, pre-portioned ingredients weekly, and even includes easy-to-follow, chef-designed dinner recipes.
Stephen King, a lecturer at Middlesex University and a user of meal kit subscription plans, said: "It costs us Dh350 for four good-sized meals for two people. We never have significant food waste (only from peeling), and everything is always very tasty. We are also losing weight and saving money at the same time, and it reduces our plastic consumption.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com