Food Network: The Big Waste

I watched only a little bit of the show, I couldn't watch all of it because I dislike Guarnaschelli and watch Ann Burrell makes me want to brush my hair compulsively so I find no enjoyment in them. 

I watched the part where they met the Freegan and although it's not something I would do I found it awesome that he didn't want to engage in consumerism and would find free food.  But then after I watched Burrell just stand there with her arms crossed the whole time he was digging for food and then professed that she "just got done foraging for food" I changed the channel.

I feel a bit helpless at the grocery and I'm afraid that I'm one of those people that overlooks certain products.  If you put 2 loafs of bread in front of me and one's expiration date is tomorrow and the others is a week from tomorrow I choose the latter.  If you put 2 piece of fruit, one bruised and one pretty I choose the pretty.  It's human nature, that's what we would do out in nature if we were gathering after all.

I didn't watch the show, because the premise description didn't appeal. But one thing to consider: In many jurisdictions, stores are not allowed, but either law or company policy, to distribute non-sellable foods. They can't even give it to you for composting, let alone eating.

The other aspect is that dumpster diving is technically illegal. You are both trespassing and stealing. Would your local supermarket prosecute? Who knows.

What I would like to know is how much food the Food Network throws away. We can see them throw away quite a fair amount of perfectly edible food on screen, I'm sure they actually throw away even more behind the scenes. 

I've not even heard of the show, but from the standpoint of food sense, basic food safety, isn't there enough food born illness around that we don't have to give people ideas....all in the name of "entertainment?"

All the product they used was checked by a health inspector and what ever didn't pass wasn't allowed to be used

Oh, yeah. That's realistic. Next time I feel like dumpster diving for scraps I'll be sure and carry a health inspector along for the ride.

You really see that as responsible programming?

They are running out of programming.  It must take them at least 30 seconds to write a half hour script. Reality TV is cheap to produce , no million dollar an episode actors to pay ,and no high priced set. This is the future of TV, heaven help us.

The negativity ? simple  over the years I have seen it  go from food and cooking lessons to Paula Dean and a bunch of  housewife type shows that sell cheap pots and pans for a lot of money. Most of the former Pro's are gone. In order to be on food channel you do not have to know how to cook. You have to wear low cut blouses and be pretty and show people how in 6 minutes one can convert Stouffers beef stew into a classic Beef Strogonoff?(Lee). Or phony Paula telling you to use 3 pounds of butter for something. Flay even says as was mentioned in a recent article ''I HAD TO FORGET ALL i KNOW ABOUT COOKING TO DO A SHOW ON FOOD NETWORK""

MrMexico25 please understand that as professionals in the industry it is regretful that shows such as this air on the public television airwaves.

You may see this type of programming as being helpful and educational, while we view it quite differently.

Programming on the food network has nothing to do with educating the public about food in any way.

It is purely entertainment.

Nothing else.

Can you truly tell us that you learned how to cook something by watching a contestant on a program?

You see the technique, you see the ingredients, you see the entire production of the food item. I think not!!!!

It is you that does not understand what programs like this are doing to the public.

I think most are over looking the purpose of the show, it's not to show some great dish or some exotic ingredient, it is trying to show a major problem in America and the rest of the world!! food that goes to waste when it could be feeding people, 93 billion pounds of food is wasted every year just in North America and Oceania (that is Canada, the USA, Mexico and all of the Pacific Islands), thats 650 pounds per person, while at the same time "1 in 7 people in the U.S. now subsist on food stamps, and, in 2009, nearly 15 percent of U.S. households were found to have low or very low “food security,” meaning that, on a regular basis, nearly 50 million Americans ran short on food."(The starvation of America’s middle class By Dominic Basulto of The Washington Post). So how much food do you waste in your day to day operation as a restaurateur or chef, what do you do with your unused food, do you throw it away or do you donate it to a homeless shelter or food bank, you cannot use the excuse of it being illegal because its not, as a mater of fact the is a law that protects people from liability for donating food, its called "Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act of 1996".

The point of the show was that the food never should have made it to the garbage, better management of resource at the restaurant and grocery store level will low your cost and provide food to those in need.

The negativity is not towards you, the members on this forum are in general quite negative towards the Food network.  I agree with you that the concept of being less wasteful is very important, however I'm not sure this particular show is helpful.  There are other networks that focus solely on these types of topics and their programming is better.  The Food Network has become a series of tedious contests all of which are quite predictable (I mean come on, it was a given that Spike would be the first to go, Alex G. would advance very far, and that chef Z. would be the winner in the recent Iron chef competition).  It makes me think that Alex G. must be very independently wealthy or must own the FN because they promote her in every way they can even though I don't like her food, her skills or her demeanor in any way. 

And I'm very upset but Anne Burrell's hair.  Seriously, what's wrong with her?  I'm never one to judge a woman by her looks but somebody please tell her that there is this brilliant little device called a comb.

Anne Burrell's hair can be overwhelming and Alex is not my favorite chef while Bobby and Michael are two of my favorites, but thats not important. The thing that makes FN the perfect place for this show is the fact they have such a large viewership, now the number of people that are aware of what is for all intense purpose a national tragedy is large enough for people to start making a change in how we look at the food we eat and the food we throw away. After all we thow away a bushell of tomatos because a blemish the size of a dime.

So you're saying FN is now operating in the public service arenae?

Gimme an effin break!

It makes me think that Alex G. must be very independently wealthy

Don't overlook the fact that Bobby Flay is her rabbi. And at FN that counts for a lot.

I haven't seen that show on FN, but this thread reminded me of a movie Dive!  Living off America's Waste  http://www.divethefilm.com/  I'll admit I don't necessarily agree with all of their agenda, but it does open your eyes up to the major food waste problems in this country.   In kitchens I work (have worked in) I try to use every bit for food I can and compost the rest.  Hey that reminds me of the thread on putting onion skins, potato peels, etc in stock.  yuk

Hi, My name is Robert and I am the freegan that helped Ann. There is no laws against trespassing for garbage bags on the curb. The laws only apply to actual dumpsters that are owned by other than the city. Please brush up on the laws to avoid scaring people from doing the right thing. Thanks.

Good for you Robert!   I am only against it when it is breaking into somewhere illegally, but I don't have the fortitude to do it myself.  I have a couple friends who did it for a year and still do on occasion.  It's scary how much we waste.  I am one who is always called crazy because I only quick-thaw under water on the rarest of times to conserve water.  It kills me to see 4 faucets running full blast for 4-5 hrs every day down the drain.

Don't overlook the fact that Bobby Flay is her rabbi. And at FN that counts for a lot.

Can an fourth generation Irish American be a Rabbi?

your letting your opinion about Food Network and it's stars get in the way of the problem at hand, the fact that we are wasting food at an alarming rate of 93 billion pounds a year while 50 million people in the US - 1 in 6 of the population can't afford enough food. so if this had been on NBC, CNN, the BBC or some other new report would it be more credible than FN, because f you say yes then shame on you because the BBC, Fox news, the LA Times, the Washington Post, New York Time, CBS, Men's Health, CNN and more have all covered this issue, some more than once, some were done in 2007. So please stop looking at the the chefs involved and look at the problem and how you can stop it and when you have food that you can't serve to your customers be cause of ascetic's reasons but is still safe and fit to eat please consider giving it to homeless shelters or food banks in your area, after all a bushel of tomatoes that are blemished or bruised will make a lot of tomato soup.

Alrighty.Seeing the amount CHEFS and COOKS deny food on this forum is appalling. I've recently begun reading up on food safety, and it took only 2 hours of reading to discover that most foods that we deem "unhealthy" (over 80%) and that's thrown away only requires a quick heat to a cooked temperature or a nice cleaning and they're perfectly edible. Bread, fruits, meat, vegetables, all tossed because they weren't "in their best condition for consumption"

The documentary "Dive" opened my eyes to the fact that HALFof america's food is thrown away annually, meaning we overproduce by 100%.

To put it into perspective, we eat a meal and throw one away everytime we stuff our faces in America.

So all of these people complaining about food health can leave, because there are tens of thousands of families living this way daily, and if they didn't scavenge like our ancestors they would be as dead as the human race's appreciation of the planet and her wonders.

Don't keep it bottled up, let us know how you feel.

Sorry, just had to throw away 15 plates of food because they were wrong orders and I'm just slightly irritated. :P

 There is no laws against trespassing for garbage bags on the curb. Please brush up on the laws to avoid scaring people from doing the right thing.

First of all, Robert, I specifically mentioned dumpsters when talking about the illegality of it. So maybe you need to brush up on your reading skills. There are very few restaurants, supermarkets, and similar venues that put their trash out at the curb. Which means you're primarily talking about the garbage tossed by private citizens. If you think that rummaging around in other people's trash to find food that may or may not be edible is "the right thing" then I happily leave you to it.

The simple fact is that there are very few people in America unaware of the fact that we waste an incredible amount of food. But if you think a "reality competition" on FN is going to change that you're living in a fool's paradise. But.....enjoy your lunch, such as it is.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChefHoff  ...It kills me to see 4 faucets running full blast for 4-5 hrs every day down the drain..

I do not believe that is the way it is supposed to be, one faucet, barely on, is sufficient.
 

Why throw it away, why not donate it?
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeremuzzz 

Sorry, just had to throw away 15 plates of food because they were wrong orders and I'm just slightly irritated. :P

Everyone knows that the food wasters are:

• Factory farms
• Greed driven food purveyors
• corporate owned mega-marts

right? None of the 99% waste any food, right?

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer 

 There is no laws against trespassing for garbage bags on the curb. Please brush up on the laws to avoid scaring people from doing the right thing.

 

First of all, Robert, I specifically mentioned dumpsters when talking about the illegality of it. So maybe you need to brush up on your reading skills. There are very few restaurants, supermarkets, and similar venues that put their trash out at the curb. Which means you're primarily talking about the garbage tossed by private citizens. If you think that rummaging around in other people's trash to find food that may or may not be edible is "the right thing" then I happily leave you to it.

 

The simple fact is that there are very few people in America unaware of the fact that we waste an incredible amount of food. But if you think a "reality competition" on FN is going to change that you're living in a fool's paradise. But.....enjoy your lunch, such as it is.

 

 

You said  you didn't even watch the show, Jelly. Why trash those who find the premise interesting?

Back away from your computer. Just back away.

LOL.  You GO!!!   MrMexico25. You're fresh, and I can appreciate that. Don't ever leave this forum.   

I haven't watched the show. I wasn't even aware of it until now. I do exactly the same as that show, as it sounds, every time I cook in a shelter. I guarantee that I can do it better. I have NO negativity or animosity for the FoodTV people for that either. I like all those FoodTV people, except Alex G., who I can't stand. I've never had any problems getting "soon to be thrown away" food from grocery stores, restaurants, specialty stores and all the like. It's basically building up relationships with professionals extending simple professional courtesy. Those who understand the humanity of helping to feed a shelter anyway. 

I watch all the FoodTV shows that I choose based on the ENTERTAINMENT VALUE to ME. I'm not really watching to learn anything, just to be entertained. Although I have learned and picked up a lot of good ideas from DD&D.  There are so many shows that I wouldn't let children watch that are so much worse, in my opinion, than anything that may be suggested on FoodTV. I find it completely against all humanity how much the cast of "Jersey Shore" makes, and how many people watch that stuff. 

Anne Burrell is gorgeous; a culinary knock-out. Like I've said before somewhere, she can become "Mrs.Iceman" tomorrow if she likes. I love all the rest of them too; Giada, Lisa, Marcela, Nigella, Rachael, Ree and Sandra. (And these are just the ones from Food Network. LOL.)