Food Waste & Junk Food Advertising

Food Waste & Junk Food Advertising plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service released a report Monday showing the U.S. wasted about 31-percent - or 133-billion pounds - of food in 2010 worth 161.1-billion dollars. Out of 430-billion pounds of available food in 2010 - the study shows 43-billion pounds at the retail level were lost and 90-billion pounds were lost at the consumer level. The average amount of food loss per American was 429-pounds. ERS says food loss is becoming an increasingly important topic domestically and internationally. By reducing food loss - food prices in the U.S. and around the world would likely reduce.

If marketing unhealthy foods to kids by food companies sells more of those foods, why not market more healthy foods to kids? Cathy Burns is President of the Produce Marketing Association.

BURNS: A child sees about 5,500 advertisements a year for junk food. For healthy food, it's less than 100.

First Lady Michelle Obama announced new USDA rules that will impact every student in every public school in the country, starting next year. The rules will require the phasing out of any advertising or marketing of foods that don't meet the USDA's current nutritional standards already in place at public schools.

Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray.

There have always been subtle and sometimes not so subtle reminders to keep us "in check". Who hasn't heard the old axioms, "don't say or do anything you wouldn't want your mother to read, "loose lips sink ships, "do you kiss your mother with that mouth", and one of my favorites, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". The intent of these sayings should be taken even more seriously in this day of social media. Sadly, it seems that many people either haven't heard any of these or choose not to heed their warning, hence the numerous people who have found themselves facing dismissal from their jobs, in legal hot water, or shunned by friends or family because of what they have tweeted or posted on Facebook. It's gotten so bad in this concern that an app called Facewash, which should say it all, has been created to hopefully save people from themselves. This app will check comments, photos, and links you have "liked" and flag them as perhaps unacceptable. Here's a novel idea, how about exercising some common sense before you tweet, text, or post? As good ol' Ben was fond of saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.