‘Wasteful’: OzHarvest CEO roasts cooking shows

Aussie households are wasting up to $2500 every year on food. See why TV cooking shows like MasterChef and My Kitchen Rules may be to blame.

Callan Smith’s MasterChef dish used lamb tartare, raspberry graniota, caramel popcorn, capers and smoked egg yolk. Picture: Supplied

That sad lettuce turning to mush. The bottle of verjuice bought for a dinner party recipe in 2004 and untouched ever since. The skanky horrors that pile up at the back of the office fridge.

Food wastage is a costly and under-appreciated problem, with the average Aussie household blowing $2000-$2500 per year on edibles that are never actually eaten, according to research by the food rescue organisation OzHarvest.

The charity founded by Ronni Kahn 18 years ago to tackle waste in the food industry is now turning its attention to the domestic sphere, encouraging Aussies to reduce the estimated 2.5 million tonnes of food we let spoil in our homes each year.

While there are many reasons for the wastage, Ms Kahn said our obsession with cooking shows and premium cookbooks is helping fuel it.

“They’re going to kill me for saying it, but while the cooking shows have encouraged a huge awareness around food, it’s very wasteful,” she said.

“We watch MasterChef and they’ll tell you to go buy 25 ingredients you’ll probably never use again to make an item. And those beautiful exotic cookbooks that say you need 15 ingredients. We say replace, substitute; if you need parsley [for a dish] but you’ve got rosemary, use rosemary.”

MasterChef finalist Kylie Millar wowed the judges and viewers with this ‘nest’ dish for the show. The dish utilised about 50 ingredients and had 47 steps in its preparation. Picture: Supplied

According to OzHarvest research, the top five most wasted foods in Australia are vegetables, bread, fruit, bagged salad and meal leftovers – and for every five bags of groceries we pick up from the supermarket, one is a complete waste.

For families worried about the spiralling cost of living, it makes for an obvious area to save cash.

“Making a shopping list saves an enormous amount of money because you buy what you need,” said Ms Kahn. “Literally you have to look in you pantry and look in your fridge, and cook or use what you’ve bought.”

OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn speaking about minimising food waste at home at a 'zero waste' breakfast at Refettorio OzHarvest in Sydney's Surry Hills on August 16, 2022. Picture: Lala Wijeskera

Seeking ways to remind Aussies about food wastage, OzHarvest looked at a range of possible solutions, including phone apps and signage on supermarket trolleys, before hitting on the simplest idea of all – designating a spot in your fridge or pantry for the items with a limited shelf life.

To assist, they’ve designed special tape to remind the casual fridge or pantry browser what they should be eating first.

The tape reminds all members of a household that they can help tackle the problem of food wastage, Ms Kahn said.

“The kids engage, and it gives families an opportunity to talk about really important issues,” she said.

Celebrated chef Neil Perry talking at a 'zero waste' breakfast at Refettorio OzHarvest in Sydney's Surry Hills on August 16, 2022. Picture: Lala Wijeskera

Celebrated chef Neil Perry, who has been working with OzHarvest to minimise restaurant wastage, said a few pointers from his industry can help home cooks save money.

“Don’t fall into that trap of stocking the fridge up,” he said.

“It’s really important to plan out what you’re going to feed the family, and how that’s going to interact with what you’ve got in the fridge. If you’ve got some rice, stir-fry it; if you’ve got vegetables, turn it into a stir-fry or a braise or a salad.

“And importantly, always shop with the season. That’s exactly how we run our restaurants – efficiently but with flavour. If a food is in season it’s not only abundant, it’s at the peak of its power in terms of flavour and texture.”

Originally published as ‘Wasteful’: OzHarvest CEO roasts cooking shows