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You Won't Believe What These Celebrity Chefs Used to Create a Gourmet Meal

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WASHINGTON -- Renowned chefs served gourmet food to DC residents, for free, as part of an event titled Feeding the 5,000. But the story here isn't the chefs serving up heaping portions of goodness; instead it's the source of the food itself.

The ingredients for the meals came from wasted food. That's right, wasted food. The chefs and event organizers hoped to show residents the beautful meals that could be made from food otherwise deemed useless. 

This is just one example of the many ways various groups are fighting to combat waste.

Americans toss out more than a billion dollars’ worth of food a year. When most people think of wasted food, they think of steamy piles of garbage or the meal left on a plate after a two-year-old takes a bite and proudly declares he's "all done." 

But that isn't always the case. Some of the wasted food in the U.S. comes from grocery stores, restaurants and farmers held back by bureaucratic red tape and industry standards.

For example, a farmer may be forced to toss part of a crop if it doesn't meet industry standards.

A grocery store may refuse to display less than perfect veggies. So instead of finding use for that misshapen carrot it's tossed in the trash.  

Sometimes government red tape can keep a restaurant or grocery store from giving away unattractive or leftover food.

Confusion over food labels can also lead to waste. Consumers can get easily confused over the difference between the guidelines: “best by” or “use by.” 

According to Feedback, a group dedicated to cutting food waste, the food wasted in the U.S., the U.K., and Europe would be enough to feed the one billion malnourished people around the world.

Numbers like these have some members of Congress fighting for change.

A group of celebrity chefs brought their culinary skills to Capitol Hill to testify before a house committee. They are hoping that key legislative changes can cut down on food waste. For example, clarifying those labels that say best before or use by could save consumers a spoonful of cash.

"Consumers actually waste a lot of food. Our bill also looks at donation policy, making it easier for a farmer to give away food that would otherwise go to waste, same with retail stores," explained Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.

"In one piece we picked up, which we find is sort of the most puzzling part for most people, is this idea of a label that is on the back of a can or eggs. Most of those labels are somewhat arbitrary; they don’t really mean that the date we see is the date after which the food would be unsafe. So we are asking the USDA and FDA to come up with some labels," Pingree continued. 

Some places aren't waiting on congressional action. DC Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization in Washington DC, prides itself on feeding the city's hungry using donated and recycled food.

Restaurant chain, Pret-A-Manger, proudly boasts things are, “Made today. Gone today.” Meaning, instead of tossing out unsold food at the end of the day, it is given away to local charities.  

This is just another example of an organization’s dedication to feed the hungry and cut down on waste despite the red tape.

 

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About The Author

Amber C.
Strong

Amber Strong joined the CBN News team in Washington, D.C., in 2014 as a producer and field producer. Currently, she works as a correspondent, producer, and backup anchor for "The Brody File." Her beat includes national politics and The White House. And while she loves her current backyard of Washington, D.C., she’s a Hoosier girl at heart. Amber lives and breathes all things entertainment and politics and has had the privilege of interviewing some of the biggest names in both industries, including late night host Jimmy Fallon and presidential contender Rick Santorum. However, her true love is