The food we don't eat

Last August 7, I attended an assembly in a hotel where we were served snacks. It was impressive. We had a choice of about five food varieties on our plate - a combination of bread and pastries.

I managed to finish what was on my plate because lunch had been a sandwich, finished hastily to get to the assembly on time. But the many others who had a full lunch had a lot of leftovers.


I looked at the leftovers, table to table -- we had filled up a ballroom -- and I could imagine how many packs they would make if we were to collect them. Instead, we left them on the table where they would probably end up in the trash.

Although I'd once wondered about what happens to leftover food in hotels and restaurants, it was my boss who verbalized her thoughts on the matter. She had attended a wedding reception in Cebu and just as the guests were leaving, she noticed the waiters making off with the trays still containing food.

When she asked, they admitted that they were not allowed to bring home food and would get into trouble if they did. Most of the clients bring home what's left at the buffet. But the unconsumed on the plates go to the trash. Never mind if it's an individually wrapped pastry which had obviously been selected but ignored.

She was horrified and rightly so. This was the same person who had shared a video about a man who would go through the trash of a Jollibee outlet for partially eaten food, which he would bring home. He'd share some with neighbors but would also keep some carefully selected choice meat for himself and his family.

Having been brought up by a mom who would get REALLY angry if we could not finish the food on our plates, I have grown up mindful about taking only what I can finish. I am trying to do the same thing to our daughter. I think if we all did this, it would be a start in reducing food leftovers.

I also hope that most of those in the food business would have a program that would allow employees to take home good food or if not, allow those less fortunate to have access to this food in a decent and humane manner, rather than have them wait for the trash outside the establishment so that they could go through it and take home the leftovers.