Fidu tips to reduce food waste

Whenever safe food goes to waste, it is food waste. This not only impacts on the waste of money, labor and resources such as energy, land and water that were used to produce that food, it also increases greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to climate change (1).

According to the UN report, it is estimated that about 931 million tons of food waste were generated in 2019, 61% of which came from our homes (2). This means that we can all act by changing our habits to avoid wasting food, money and resources.

In this article, we show you how Fidu can help reduce food waste in your home.

Using preparations or making a recipe with multiple ingredients?

The advantages of using preparations or mixes are several: it saves time, it saves effort, you don't need to be an expert in the kitchen, but it also contributes to the reduction of food waste. As?

In a package of Prepared Fidu are all the necessary ingredients, weighed in the exact amounts to cook a cake or a batch of cookies, its entire content is used at once without waste .

If, on the other hand, I were to make a cake from a recipe, I would have to buy several ingredients. In addition to the flour, you would need yeast and, in the case of gluten-free cakes, use an ingredient to replace the gluten, such as xanthan gum , for example. These ingredients are typically used in small amounts, but sold in relatively large packages. Unless you make cakes frequently, these ingredients you bought will stay in your cupboard for months after opening, until they expire or are no longer fit to be consumed, that is, they will generate waste .

Validity and conservation of products in the packaging

Most Fidu products have a shelf life of around 12 months. They are non-perishable products, which means that, as long as they are kept closed and stored in the right conditions (protected from heat, light and humidity), they remain safe for consumption for a long time, even after the date indicated on the package.

This date is legally mandatory information for the consumer, which indicates that the products retain their specific properties under appropriate conservation conditions, called the minimum durability date and that on the labels you can find the phrase “preferably consume before… ” or “preferably consume before the end of”. It does not mean that after that date the product is no longer safe for consumption, but it may change some of its characteristics, for example, the yeast may no longer react as intensely and the cake may not rise as much as usual.

How to know if a product can be consumed after the expired date?

It's simple, just check that the packaging remains closed and intact and that there are no visible changes in the product, namely in color, appearance and smell. If everything is ok, you can consume it, and thus avoid wasting safe food.

Please note that this is only valid for non-perishable products. Fresh and very perishable products, namely refrigerated products that have the word “use by…” on the label, should not be consumed after the date indicated as they have a high risk of microbial development and are not safe for consumption after the date indicated on the package.

Doses and how to store after preparation

Another way to avoid waste is to plan the portions that we are going to cook, given our consumption needs. Therefore, in our preparations we offer different formats. If you feel like a cake for a snack, but only for you or for a few people, choose a Cupcake Preparation that, depending on the size of the mold, yields about 6 cupcakes, if you need a larger portion, our Cake Preparation yields about 12 slices.

If you do more and want to keep our cakes for the next day, keep them protected from the air in a glass or plastic bowl with a lid, or wrap them in parchment paper.

In the case of Pancake and Waffle Preparation , you can make just the portion you need and keep the rest of the preparation by closing the bag with a spring. If you make extra pancakes or waffles, you can store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. To eat them fluffy, just reheat for 30 to 45 seconds in the microwave.

Use overripe vegetables and fruits

One of the biggest causes of food waste is fruits and vegetables that ripen or go soft very quickly. To take advantage of them, you can add to our Preparations :

• Very ripe fruit looks great in our cakes and cupcakes, to add to the dough , make toppings or fillings and give it a special taste;
• You can also add the ripe fruit to the pancake batter or cut the fruit into cubes and cook it in the pan, add a little cinnamon and serve over pancakes and plain waffles ;
• You can also make a sweet pie base with our Cookie Preparation and use the ripe fruit to make the pie filling;
• Our Cake Preparations also go well with vegetables, whether spinach, carrots, beets, courgettes, pumpkin, beans, just add them to the dough to make colorful, tasty and nutrient-rich cakes ;
• You can also add vegetables to the pancake batter, season to taste with salt and pepper and make delicious savory pancakes or vegetable fritters.

Fidu Preparations are so versatile that you just need to use your imagination to save these foods from waste. For more ideas, see our recipe suggestions.

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Bibliographical sources:

1. Ghamrawy, M. (2019). “Say no to food waste! A guide to reduce household food waste – Trainers guide”. Cairo, FAO.
2. United Nations Environment Program (2021). “Food Waste Index Report 2021” (Food Waste Index Report 2021). Nairobi.