I recently came across two seldom considered causes of food
waste: electrical and mechanical.
Power outages, if they last long enough, can cause individuals and restaurants (small ones without a backup generator) to toss their perishables. As restaurants in Somerville, Mass., found out, this can be quite costly. In addition, the loss of food is wicked really sad.
And then there’s waste caused by electrical malfunctions. Brett, a student at Allegheny College, wrote in with this tale from his cafeteria:
There was some sort of electrical short that affected the pizza oven. The way our pizza station works is the pizza chef puts together the pies, racks them, and then sticks them in the oven on an as needed basis…However, tonight, when the pizza ovens went down, there were a good 5 or 6 unbaked pies on the racks. One of the managers on duty came by to collect them. [The pizza chef] was all set to film wrap them so they could go in the fridge to be baked tomorrow…
However, the manager took them back and threw them all right in the dumpster. It was sad. I’m sure it was some rule…but come on…just put it all in the fridge and have an easier day tomorrow. Sigh…no one gets it…
You beat me to the sigh, Brett.