Everyone involved agreed: The waffles not only looked delicious, but also tasted delicious. State Secretary Sebastian Thul prepared "nut waffles with potatoes from the previous day" together with the 4th grade of the voluntary all-day school at Homburg-Einöd elementary school. The class won first prize with their recipe in the "Creative Leftover Kitchen" competition as part of the action week against food waste, and thereby earned, among other things, a cooking appointment. In total, ten schools – some with several classes or groups – participated in the competition organized by the Ministry for Environment, Climate, Mobility, Agriculture and Consumer Protection and the Saarland Consumer Center.
„By shopping according to needs and storing food properly, unnecessary waste and thus food waste can be avoided,“ said Thul. „By processing leftovers, we not only save money, but also actively contribute to environmental and climate protection. The topics of food appreciation and the prevention of food waste are becoming increasingly important, and I am pleased that they are gaining more focus in schools. Our competition's lively participation has shown us this,“ emphasized the State Secretary, who is also responsible for nutrition.
“Cooking with children is a great introduction to the topic of food waste,” said Theresia Weimar-Ehl, nutrition officer at the Verbraucherzentrale Saarland. The children of FGTS Homburg-Einöd had a lot of fun helping out in the kitchen. While chopping fruit for the fruit skewers and preparing waffles from potato leftovers from the day before, they learned about mindful use of food in a very practical way. “What you appreciate, you are less likely to throw away,” says Weimar-Ehl.
To further combat food waste in Saarland, the Ministry of Environment and Consumer Protection is working closely with the Saarland Consumer Advice Center and will continue to raise awareness on the topic through action weeks, joint lectures, and not least recipe competitions. "How we handle food, the value it holds for us, and the appreciation we show to producers are important to all of us," said Thul. To ensure that all Saarlanders benefit from the tips and recipes of the competition, the ministry is currently working on a cookbook with all submitted recipe suggestions.
Background:
Under the overarching theme of valuing food, the Ministry for Environment, Climate, Mobility, Agriculture and Consumer Protection has been addressing the issue of food waste since 2017. On the initiative of the ministry, the "Saarland Round Table on Food Losses" was established in June 2017. Since its inception, the round table has met twice a year. Representatives from the fields of agriculture, food production, trade, and out-of-home catering, as well as other organizations and initiatives, regularly participate. With the involvement of the participants of the round table, the first Saarland-wide action week against food waste was held in 2018. The goal of the annual action week is to raise consumer awareness and provide practical information, for example on the shelf life and proper storage of food.
Further information can be found at: www.saarland.de/lebensmittelverschwendung
