K-State Research and Extension

Reducing Food Waste

Food Waste Resources

• About One-third for the Food Americans Buy is Wasted - The Conversation and The Ohio State University
• A National Strategy to Reduce Food Waste at the Consumer Level (2020) - The National Academies Press
• Working Together to Reduce Food Waste - Fact Sheet, K-State Research and Extension
• Working Together to Reduce Food Waste - Leaders Guide, K-State Research and Extension
• Checking Out Wasted Food: A Breakdown of Retailer Best Practices for Wasting Less Food - Climate Collaborative
• Food Waste and Loss - FDA
• Consumer Research on Sustainable Eating and Food Waste - International Food Information Council
• Food-related routines, product characteristics, and household food waste in the United States: A refrigerator-based pilot study - Resources, Conservation & Recycling
• The Farm Bill Looks to Tackle Food Loss and Waste - University of Illinois
• Waste Deep: The State of Food Loss and Waste - and Ways to Fix It - Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• What You Can Do To Help Prevent Wasted Food - USDA Food and Nutrition Service, UPDATED January 14, 2020
• Examining Food Loss and Food Waste in the United States - Choices Magazine
• How to Cut Food Waste and Maintain Food Safety - FDA
• Food Loss and Waste - USDA
• Food Waste: reFED
• Food: Too Good To Waste Implementation Guide - Environmental Protection Agency
• Sustainable Management of Food - Environmental Protection Agency
• What's Up with All the Wasted Food? Consider the Tomato - Environmental Protection Agency
• Reducing Wasted Food at Home - Environmental Protection Agency
• Storing Fresh Produce - 1 page, Word or PDF - Kansas State University
• Storing Fresh Produce - 2 per page, Word or PDF- Kansas State University
• Implementing the Food Recovery Hierarchy in Rural Vermont Communities - Northeast Recycling Council
• Further with Food - Center for Food Loss and Waste Solutions
• Reduce Wasted Food! Tip Sheet for Vermont Residents - Northeast Recycling Council
• Communication Tools to Help Consumers Reduce Food Waste (PDF) (Powerpoint)- K-State Pollution Prevention Institute, presentation at 2018 Annual Conference
• Let's Talk Trash: Reducing Food Waste at Home - Oregon State University (Leader's guide, Participant Handout)
• From Farm to Fork to Landfill: How Food is Wasted - Science Meets Food
• Widespread confusion about food safety labels leads to food waste, survey finds - Johns Hopkins University

A Love Letter to Food - University of Minnesota Food Policy Research Center

Food Labels

Many food labels display a code date to show consumers when to best use a food or what the shelf life is for that product. Because of the variety of code dates used, consumers are sometimes confused on how to interpret the dates. Use these publications to help understand code dating of foods.

• Date Labeling Toolkit - Institute of Food Technologists
• Meat Product Labeling and Marketing: What Do All Those Words Really Mean? - Kansas State University
• What's on a Food Label? - Kansas State University
• Food Product Dating: What Do Those Dates Mean?
• Food Storage and Shelf Life
• Cupboard Storage - Kansas State University
• Refrigerator and Freezer Storage - Kansas State University

Salvaging Good Food

• Evaluate Canned Food - Purdue University
• Evaluate Food Boxes - Purdue University
• Evaluate Food Jars - Purdue University

Composting

• Composting publications - K-State Research and Extension
• How to Compost - North Dakota State University

Food Pantries and Food Banks

While food pantries and food banks operate year around, they become especially important during the holidays. Food safety is important to give safe food to their consumers. Learn more from the resources below.

• Food Safety in Blessing Boxes - North Central Region Food Safety Network
• Donating Safe and Nutritious Food to Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens - Kansas State University
• Keep it Fresh & Healthy: Safe Produce for Food Pantries - Michigan State University
• Food Pantries and Food Banks - North Carolina State University
• Food Safety for Food Pantry Donations - University of Maine
• Indiana's Emergency Food Resource Network
• Growing Together: Food Safety in Donation Gardens
• Top 13 Vegetables to Donate to Food Pantries