University of Tennessee professors studying food waste

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - According to the The U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than a third of all food is wasted with Americans throwing away 200 million tons of food each year.

University of Tennessee professors Kim Jensen, Karen DeLong, and Edward Yu say they will be researching different issues of food waste and publishing their research in three years.

They hope their research can provide recommendations for food loss programs nationwide. According to FeedingAmerica.org, nearly a million people in the state of Tennessee face hunger.

“The Covid-19 pandemic I think really highlighted food insecurity and insufficiency in the US and I think that rose in the pandemic,” said Jensen.

Food insecurity is a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active and healthy life, according to the USDA.

“There’s wholesome food that’s been produced that could have helped needy families that ends up in landfills,” said Jensen.

The study has numerous objectives. The team hopes to study “best-if-used-by” labels, shopping patterns, helpful assistance programs, retailers, and manufacturers.

They expect the study to be completed in 2024.

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