National Day Against Food Waste: Actions and Education to Combat Food Excess

On the occasion of the 11th National Day of Prevention of Food Waste celebrated last February 5th, a conference titled #StopFoodWaste was held on Friday, in the halls of the Lancellotti Palace in Casalnuovo, promoted by the Rotary Club Acerra Casalnuovo Montano. Reduction of waste at all levels - from domestic to industrial - and concrete actions for the recovery and distribution of surpluses, were the themes addressed by a panel of excellent speakers, including Professor Giorgio Calabrese, president of the Cnsa, the National Committee for Food Safety of the Ministry of Health. In particular, Calabrese emphasized the relationship between food waste and healthy eating, reiterating the need to adopt concrete behaviors to change our lifestyle and thus fight food waste and its impact on the planet. The interventions focused instead on the role of each of us in the fight against waste and on the countermeasures to be implemented, including those by Salvatore Velotto, president of the Otacl (Order of Food Technologists Campania-Lazio), and by Maria Manuela Russo, national vice president of the Order of Food Technologists. And from the perspective of recovery and reuse of surpluses, a booklet containing tips and above all anti-waste recipes created by two excellences in the field, the pastry chef Matteo Cutolo, world champion of pastry and gelato 2017 Fipcg, and the starred chef Domenico Iavarone, both present at the conference. To conclude the event, Professor Ugo Oliviero, governor of the Rotary District 2101, focused on the consequences of waste and the need for information and teaching that food has value and has an impact on the environment and our health. "It is inexplicable," said Governor Oliviero, "that the region which has one of the lowest economic intakes has the highest incidence of childhood obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, mainly linked to an inadequate lifestyle. The Rotary supports all projects aimed at improving wrong dietary habits and - he concluded - today's initiative is certainly among the most incisive and meritorious." And indeed, making information the main goal of the #stopfoodwaste project, conceived by Antonio Di Donna, food technologist and member of the RC Acerra-Casalnuovo, which also this year, as already happened in the previous edition, includes educational meetings in schools of the territory, involving not only students but also families. "The issue of food waste," said Raffaele Gammella, president of the RC Acerra-Casalnuovo, "has become an increasingly pressing problem for local communities and beyond, hence the need to intervene focusing precisely on correct information that can stimulate more responsible behaviors, starting from small daily habits. Our goal," he concluded, "is precisely this, that's why the idea of starting by meeting students and families." At the event, representing the institutions, were also present the Honorable Loredana Raia, Vice President of the Regional Council of Campania, and the councilors of the municipality of Casalnuovo di Napoli, Katia Iorio, Anna Romano, and Crescenzio Visone.