Fair Fare

            Midnight, in a dark pantry somewhere in America – “Kate!  Is that you?  It sounds like you’re crying.  What’s going on?” Ray Frydbeans whispered. 

            “I’m sorry; I can’t help it,” Kate Chupp sniffled. “But I’m scared.  Today, the guy who does the cooking, Stu Potts, took me out of the cupboard to use.  But then I watched him looking at some of the tiny numbers printed on my backside.  He frowned and put me away again mumbling something about having to toss me out!  Ray, I can’t help but think about all those tomatoes grown, processed and squeezed into me.  Their whole lives will be for nothing if I get tossed.”

            The next day Stu did some research.  Some of what he found was quite alarming.  The average American throws out more than 400 lbs. of food annually, which translates to 30% –40% of the total U.S. food supply.  Besides the obvious economic losses, water supplies are wasted and greenhouse gasses are generated in landfills. “Wow!  We resourceful Americans can do better than that,” Stu stewed.

            Part of the problem is the confusion about “sell by,” “best by,” and “use by” dates on food products.  He learned:

• A "sell by" date on food packaging indicates when a retailer should remove a product from display, not when it's unsafe to eat.
• Most food is safe to consume past this date if stored properly. 
• “Best if Used By,” "Best Before," and “Use By” essentially all mean the same thing - the peak quality limit of that product.
• The best way to determine if food is still safe to eat is to use your senses (sight, smell, taste) to check for signs of spoilage. 
• Additionally, tons of food never get used just because of aesthetic deformities such as irregular size, discoloration, weight inconsistencies, and blemishes.  What a shame!

           Later that week the pantry door swung wide. Stu reached in the back and hoisted out Kate. “Ah ketchup! Now I can grill up those burgers,” he smiled.

           Kate was thrilled!  All the soil, water, labor and transportation it took for her to become part of  Stu’s picnic fare wouldn’t be wasted.  “It’s only fair,” she mused. “And being careful stewards of Earth’s resources is one way every single person can take responsibility for their only home.  Anyway, where else would we live?  We’re all forever… Earthbound.”