Before ending upon a supermarket shelf, an avocado (牛油果)has produced 1.3 kilograms of carbon into the atmosphere. Its production alone consumes 60 gallons of water. Despite this, the fruit will often be thrown away as household waste.
Household food waste is the result of mismanagement. Much of the waste is avoidable and the food may have been eaten had it been better managed. To reduce household food waste, a growing number of food retailers decide to remove date labelling (标签), such as the "use-by" or "best-before" date, from some fresh food items.
Past studies have confirmed the importance of date labelling. Almost 60% of western European consumers surveyed said they "always" check date labels while purchasing. But date labelling has long come under criticism because failure to truly understand date labelling often leads to unreasonable decision making. Indeed, consumers commonly don't accept edible (可食用的), but date-expired (过期的)food.
The removal of date labelling is therefore a promising start. Without date labels, information that may affect consumers' understanding of what is edible, is removed. Instead, consumers are encouraged to sense-check fresh food items.
In the case of an avocado, the advice given to consumers is that when ripe, it should have a "pleasant and slightly sweet aroma (气味)", while the skin should be "dark green or brown". Information is also provided on how an avocado should look, taste, and feel when "overripe". It is hoped that a better informed consumer will be less likely to blindly throw away food due to an expiration date.
ØIf consumers can be better informed, they will not accept edible, but date-expired food.
