Americans Throw Half Of Their Food Away Annually

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a report by the National Resources Defense Council, Americans throw away nearly half of their food every year. The report also states that a 15 percent reduction in losses in the U.S. food supply can feed 25 million Americans annually.  This week's segment of The Lempert Report Innovation Series, a weekly video series featuring innovation in the food world examines cutting-edge products that can help.

Sponsored by Tetra Pak® in the U.S., the videos are found online at The Lempert Report's YouTube Channel and on Tetra Pak's U.S. consumer Web site BeCartonSmart.com.

"Consumers are responsible for more than 44 percent of the food waste in this country as they buy more food than they need or can be used before the expiration date," says Phil Lempert, CEO and editor of The Lempert Report. "Hopefully these innovative solutions can help."

One innovation called "The Berry Breeze" periodically releases Activated Oxygen (called O3) into the fridge that neutralizes bacteria, mold, and other microbes by inhibiting ethylene gas that triggers food decay.

An app called "Fresh Box" has consumers snap photos of items in their fridge and set an expiration date. The app helps you avoid spoiled foods.

Foods and beverages in cupboards also can spoil so products packaged in shelf safe packaging offer longer storage life and better taste.

The Lempert Report Innovation Series is available online for consumers, food industry insiders and as ready-to-air segments for newsrooms.

About The Lempert Report

The Lempert Report is an up-to-the minute empowering video trend report uploaded every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. TLR is the leading resource for supermarket trends and where they intersect with the consumer; offering both the retail and CPG communities' unique insights to capitalize on those opportunities. www.TheLempertReport.com

About Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak is the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 170 countries around the world. Our motto, "PROTECTS WHAT'S GOOD™," reflects our vision to make food safe and available everywhere. www.tetrapakusa.com.

SOURCE The Lempert Report