The only thing I honestly hate about America

I do, most of the time, a pretty good job at fighting with Romanian stereotypes about America. My arguments are unshakable when it comes to tricky subjects like obesity and terrorism, but quickly turn into bubbles of soap when the focus moves to food waste. I throw up my hands in despair.

What could be considered a legitimate excuse to a behavior that extends beyond age, social status, academic achievements and sexual orientation? And it happens literally every day. At the end of each shift, me and a couple of colleagues rush to pack whatever leftovers are available, before someone else throws it away. On Tuesday, I managed to snag two pieces of roasted pork chops, a scoop of mash potatoes and a handful of seasoned Brussels sprouts. Besides meat, everything else went into the trash. “Stop it! We could donate all this stuff!” I screamed in my head, while my lips remained sealed. 

The excuse I have been served last time was that “it’s contaminated, thus unsafe for those in need”. The same contamination craze has spread nationwide. My husband, who works for one of the biggest retailing companies in the U.S., was trained from day one to toss out every fresh produce that looks anything than perfect. A bag of apples with one tinny bruise? Discard. A stalk of broccoli hardly stale? Gone.

This story and the image of my coworker wasting hundreds of dollars’ worth of food —including yummy desserts and high quality vegetables — will forever remain ingrained in my memory. Here’s the thing, though: I would probably do the same, if born in this country.

After years of having easy access to cheap nourishment — healthy foods too — you develop a sort of ‘leftovers are gross’ mentality. Everyone does it, so it becomes the norm. For someone like me, raised in a former communist country, where food was once rationalized, it’s the exact opposite. It’s a sin; worse than that. Until recently, there wasn’t a trace of environmental responsibility in me. I bought Eco-friendly light bulbs, ate fast food twice a year and took the bus only to save money, not the Earth. But keeping the lights turned on for hours or driving an old banger doesn’t have the same instantly damaging effect on other’s life as food waste. “A greasy hamburger won’t feed the poor” some will try to retaliate. I disagree. Food, in any form, is life. 

According to the latest government report, released last year, in 2012, one in seven American households was food insecure. Imagine how bad the situation is in world third countries (think Somalia). I refrained from posting any scary pictures with emaciated children, because my goal is not to embarrass my readers. Instead, I want you to take a sheet of paper and to mark with Xes every time you throw food. Do this challenge for a week. It may be a disturbing experiment; it may be eye-opening. Try it!