Wedding food worth Rs
339 crore goes waste
(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-12/bangalore/34411336_1_food-wastage-quality-food-marriage-halls) (07.10.2013)
BANGALORE: After the
big fat wedding is done with and the guests have gone home, what remains is the
litter, dirty dishes and piles of excess high-calorie food.
Enough to feed lakhs
of children, in a country where malnutrition has been termed a “national
shame” by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Statistics show that every
third malnourished child in the world is an Indian.
A survey shows that
annually, Bangalore alone wastes 943 tonnes of quality food during weddings.
“This is enough to feed 2.6 crore people a normal Indian meal,” a
study by a team of 10 professors from the University of Agricultural Sciences
(UAS), Bangalore, has concluded. The team, under the guidance of UAS
vice-chancellor K Narayana Gowda, surveyed 75 of Bangalore’s 531 marriage halls
over a period of six months.
“About 84,960
marriages are held at 531 kalyana mantapas (marriage halls) in Bangalore every
year. About 943 tonnes of high-calorie quality food is wasted in these halls
annually. At an average cost of Rs 40 per meal, the total food wastage in the
city is estimated at Rs 339 crore,” the study said.
On an average, 1,000
people attend a wedding where two meals are served – lunch at the wedding and
dinner for reception, besides breakfast.
“About 10-20
items are served at a wedding ceremony. The maximum items served include 100
grams each of soup and juice, followed by 50 grams each of puri and
pulao,” the survey stated. It also concluded that rice and cereals were on
top, making for 35% of the wastage.
“On an average, a
typical wedding meal is very rich in energy. Each meal may have 1,239 calories,
enough to meet an entire day’s requirement of a child! The wastage per meal
amounted to 20% at 246 calories,” said Gowda.
“The survey
sought to bring to light the criminal wastage of food during Indian weddings.
Our aim is to create awareness and sensitize the public not to waste food. We
found that food wastage was more with buffets than served meals,” said
professor PK Mandanna, of agricultural marketing, UAS.
The university has
scheduled a brainstorming session on the issue at its GKVK campus on Saturday.
Those interested can attend.
‘Guests should be
sensitized’
“Food wastage is
a big concern during weddings. We need to create awareness among people and
sensitize them against wasting food. Hosts must put placards with messages
saying guests must not waste food and take only what they can consume.
Nowadays, professionals serve food, which is working positively,” says
Vasan T, proprietor, Gowrishankar Mahal, west of Chord Road.
Weddings wows
1,000 people attend an
average marriage
Menu comprises two
meals and breakfast
Each meal contains
1,239 calories
Avg cost of meal Rs 40
943 tonnes of
high-calorie quality food wasted
Wasted food worth Rs
339 cr
22% food wasted in
buffet system; 20% in served system
Times View
The next time you
savour a wedding feast, spare a thought for the masses which go without two
square meals a day. Especially children. At Indian weddings, where guests are
plied with good food, there’s always excess. This can be channelized to feed
the poor, as some NGOs are already doing. Which goes to show there’s enough to
go around. India produces enough for its people, but the bulk of the food
reaches those with purchasing power. It is the economics which needs to be
balanced.