WEEK 4: AVOIDING FOOD WASTAGE

    

     Assalamualaikum and Hi. For this blog, as per the title, I'll be discussing avoiding food wastage. From my point of view, food wastage is when we throw food when we can't finish consuming it. To be honest, I might not be the right person to give my opinion on this as I also act like wasting my food and I must admit, it is not the right thing to do. As in Islam, food is sustenance from Allah SWT and we should not be wasting it but instead, be grateful for what we got. This blog is written during Ramadan month and I want like to take some scenarios that happen during it. During this holy month, most Muslims usually will go to Bazaar Ramadan and they tend to be a little over-excited when buying the food sold there. However, at the end of the day, they tend to be unable to finish the food. Sadly some of the food that is not even touched will be thrown in the trash. Therefore, avoiding food waste must be a habit or an act a person must do.

    I don't know what's the correct way of avoiding food wastage. However, sometimes, I don't like throwing my food away when it is not finished. One of the tips is, for example, when I bought fried rice with some tom yum and I'm unable to finish it, I fill in both food into containers separately. On the next day, you can eat your food again as breakfast. Also, you can invest in a little high-quality food container, where you can just pop the food container into the oven and reheat it just like that and you can enjoy your meal while it is still hot. 

    Other than that, we can also donate some of the food that is not finished. For example, during Ramadan, if there is still food left (not the food that you already bite), such as fritters or karipap,  you can donate it to the mosque when you go for your Tarawih prayer. It is because based on what I observe at the mosque near my house, they usually have some food for the people to take after their prayers. Apart from avoiding wasting food, we also share our sustenance with other Ummah. 

    Apart from that, I also have done some reading on how to avoid food wastage. One of them is taking inventory before you go to the store to buy food and taking stock of your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer to prevent overbuying. This will help us buy things that we already have especially food such as vegetables as it easily turns bad and does not last long. Another tip that I would like to share that I have gained from a page I've read, is about storing your bread in the freezer. It will stay fresh and mould-free.

    Another tip is that we can compost the leftover food. Even food such as vegetable peels doesn't have to go to waste. Backyard composting is a good way to keep food waste out of landfills and provide nutrition for your garden. You can use a small composting container. Other than that, you might want to invest in buying a small kitchen decomposer if you have a higher budget. You can just throw all the food waste in there, and it can turn waste into compost. In the end, we must take this issue seriously and participate to avoid food wastage in society within our capabilities.

    

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