How Long They Last…

by puriphai

I just read, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2013/01/18/expiration-date-foods_n_2497920.html

I Was hoping this would offer a bit more information than it did… But still glad the idea is circulating… I don’t recall a specific number of pounds but I heard on NPR the other morning an alarmingly atrocious amount of food is thrown out in the US every year.
It is less taboo to speak of western practices of consumption and waste these days and people are more willing to consider the idea that perhaps their habits are not the best when it comes to filling their carts at local groceries stores.
And as the saying goes, quality over quantity.
Purchasing a smaller amount of a higher quality food would cause less waste and lead to healthier bodies here’s how:
Eggs. According to eatbydate.com, fresh eggs are good for 3-4 weeks.
Catch….
Ready…. Go long….
How ” fresh” are those eggs you just purchased at the grocery store?
Forget the chicken and egg conundrum, when does shelf life begin?
If the eggs were purchased on a more local level, a consumer would know where and when they came from, exactly how old they were, and how long they would last…
(Side note fun fact… You DO NOT have to refrigerate these natural gems, in fact room temp eggs will increase the quality of your baking ten-fold)

Sure there are arguments for the convenience with local grocery store purchasing, but realistically back yard poultry is becoming quite common and it wouldn’t be difficult to do a simple local search for someone near you who sells eggs.
This is where I argue the health benefits of fresh and local food right?
Wrong. No argument necessary.
Point…. Because you are purchasing a more realistic and consumable number of eggs, it is unlikely you will have them hanging around so long that you will need an archeologist to decipher the hieroglyph date stamp on the side of your carton before you throw all that money straight into the trash.
I understand the convenience of grab 5 dozen eggs and go, but few non commercial situations would require so many eggs.
Another edible that is often wasted due to staleness and mold is bread.
Now I know I have a bias here but if you bake your own, you will soon find its so delicious you can’t keep it around long enough to go bad.
There are a number of methods and products designed to prolong the life of food, but my point is this, if we purchase less, and eat sooner our bodies are benefiting from the freshness still in the food as opposed to trying to digest the wax it’s covered in to make it appear fresh…like those apples in the grocery store that shine like the store front of Tiffany’s.