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11 October 2013

37 Critical Food Items For Survival

By Cameron Ross


The UN claims that Food production must double by 2050 to meet the demand of the worlds growing population. However, most of the worlds productive farmland is already in use, so increased food production will require extending intensive farming methods with greater use of pesticides and fertilizers leading to the increased release of greenhouse gases. Paradoxically, UK government policy is attempting to deal with both of these problems simultaneously with plans to "boost food production in Britain and reduce its impact on the environment". Is this realistic, or is there an easier way?

Shop the Food Ads- Grocery stores pick out something to put on special, and that's what they feature in their own ad. Generally these food items are available at good discounted prices. You can buy these items in bulk and save money, but ensure that they are not just stocked items at their regular prices.Shop Around- Don't just shop at one store for all your food items. It is always advisable to go around a bit for comparison of prices. Most of the times, one or other grocery store is offering discounts. You can find information about these discounted deals online saving your money.

Using our present methods, significant food waste occurs at all stages of the food industry. The first waste stream occurs at the production stage due to damage and accidental harvesting through weather, pestilence and machinery, resulting in unsuitable quality and appearance. In storage, losses can be attributed to pests and micro-organisms causing reductions in the nutritional values and edibility of food. Further losses are generated during processing and packaging due to the handling of food and by shrinkage in weight or volume. Whilst foods which contradict safety standards need to be removed from the food chain, such regulations can conflict with efforts to reuse food waste such as in animal feed. The amount of food wasted before arriving at the retailer is unknown but may amount to at least 20% of that farmed.

Of the food which arrives at the retailer 5% is wasted due to exceeding 'use by' dates and package damage. Dr Martin Caraher, an expert in food policy at City University in London, says: "Use-By dates are in retailers financial interests. If customers throw food away, they have to replace it by buying even more. Use-By dates can be a happy accident for them".The largest waste stream is by the consumers themselves who throw away 30% of all preventable wasted purchased food. Whilst a proportion of this is discarded by being left uneaten on the plate or unserved, much food is rejected for being unfresh or beyond the 'use by' date of the package label. Whilst this could be blamed on poor domestic management, consumers are heavily influenced by marketing practices, and have limited control over purchase quantities and the packaging of food, which are the responsibility of the food industry.

Skip the brand name- The store brand is less expensive and can also come from the same diary as you favorite brand. If you do not have a discount coupon against your favorite brand then it is better to go for a local brand after checking its contents and packaging.Buy skimmed milk- Skimmed milk is 10% less expensive and 5% more nutritious for you. Some people complain about its taste, you can add various artificial flavors to it in the beginning so as you can adjust to its taste.

Health advice needs to consider promoting more durable foods in preference to perishable fruit and vegetables if these offer a more practical, equally nutritious and 'low carbon' alternative.Temperature sensitive strips could be placed on selected packages that warn the consumer if the fridge thermostat has been set too low.Set tough annual targets for reduced waste throughout the food industry.These measures should increase the worlds food supply by reducing food waste rather than increasing production with a corresponding benefit for the environment.To grow an abundance of tasty fruits and vegetables, use natural fertilizers to increase nutritional value, and enhance taste.Canning foods requires several basic steps like,Choosing the right jars and lids to ensure freshness over time,Boiling and sanitizing these materials adequately to ensure bacteria does not grow,Using only fresh and washed foods,Preparing the foods properly.Each food requires a different method of preparation. Conducting the right research before hand is essential. There are several resources that describe the best and most effective canning processing methods to help you store and preserve foods in case of a food shortage.The global food shortage and rise of food prices will eventually affect every consumer. The time is now to take action to prevent the food crisis from affecting you and your family.




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