Globally about 1 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year. ⅓ of good food for consumption ends up in the trash instead of feeding people, and the biggest generators of waste are households.
Banca de alimente in partnership with the Association of Italian Chefs organized on Thursday, July 25, the awareness-raising event “It is noble to cook without waste”. The event brought together content creators in the field of cooking, restaurant owners, chefs and public persons concerned with this topic in the Republic of Moldova.
The event participants attended a masterclass on zero-waste practices, conducted by 2 Chefs, then, in a discussion workshop, topics were discussed about the current state of the phenomenon, local and international traditions in the field, zero-waste practices in the kitchen.
Igor Belei, President of the Food Bank:
“Today’s event is part of our food waste prevention education goals. We appreciate each participant’s valuable input for the personal practices shared and new ways of approaching the topic. We are glad to have with us people and teams who set cooking trends, those who can also be the initiators of an anti-waste approach in every kitchen, the place where most food is thrown away.”
Francesco Sanna, President of the Italian Chefs Association:
“We urge all consumers to make logical and appropriate use of the products we have at home. We urge everyone to minimise food waste by preparing dishes from everything in the fridge. In Moldova, the pumpkin flower is thrown away, but in Italy it’s a delicacy and a tasty treat. For me, pumpkin flower could be a zero-waste symbol in the kitchen. I have fond childhood memories of my mom’s pumpkin flower roulade. With a pumpkin flower roulade stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto you can impress the most demanding guests”
Preventing food waste in the kitchen and cherishing food requires wisdom, talent, skill and creativity.
This is an approach with traditions in the local culture, but also an innovative concern in the modern art of cooking, the participants said. Consumerism, the wide range of products on offer, the decreasing amount of time a family devotes to cooking, lack of knowledge about the value of food – these are the most common causes of food waste today.
Brand Chef Marcel Cristenco
“Why would it be worthwhile for every chef and every person who cooks to worry about the subject of “how not to throw away food?” Very simply- because it’s your resources you’re throwing away. Food, before it ends up in the kitchen has been weighed and paid for. Over two decades of experience in Italian cooking has shown me that there are so many solutions, ideas, and recipes invented at the minute to practically throw away nothing. That’s what we all have to learn from when we start cooking.
Chef Adrian Grajdean
“Today I cooked alivancă, a traditional dessert, which does not yet exist on the menus of big restaurants, but which is an example of how we can quickly and simply save food. This concern for waste prevention, but also many of the recipes I know from my grandmother and I think we certainly have some very nice traditions in this area. To be honest, for me as a chef, it is extremely painful when you overcook at big events and then throw the food away. It’s something I’ve worked for and it deserves to nourish first and foremost and be appreciated.”
About the 2 organisations:
Banca de Alimente is an innovative mechanism in Moldova, focused on recovering food products from the agri-food chain and redistributing these into social services that assist people affected by hunger. As of March 2022, the Bank is an associate member of the European Federation of Food Banks. Alongside the food recovery approach, the Bank supports advocacy actions to improve the national legal framework to prevent food waste, promotes a culture of respect for food and social solidarity.
The Association of Italian Chefs in Moldova has more than 140 members and is a platform for communication and cooperation between HoReCa specialists, as well as a platform for the valorisation of the chef profession. ACI Moldova promotes international cuisine, Italian and Moldovan products, with a special focus on the Mediterranean diet, a UNESCO heritage since 2010 and its advantages on healthy and correct nutrition.
