Global food waste exceeds 1.3 billion tonnes annually, originating primarily from households, factories, restaurants, and retail and wholesale outlets, according to Dr. Özge Seçmeler, Faculty Member at the School of Applied Sciences, Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. She drew attention to "zero-waste kitchen" practices where domestic waste is transformed into new products or ingredients.
Dr. Özge Seçmeler, Faculty Member at the School of Applied Sciences, Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Altınbaş University, stressed the importance of the future of food in a world where natural resources are limited but demand and needs increase daily. She emphasized that more than 50 percent of food produced globally is lost as waste.
"ANATOLIA'S APPROACH TO PREVENTING WASTE HAS DECLINED"
Dr. Seçmeler noted that efforts are concentrated on reducing household waste, which accounts for 42 percent of global food waste, and restaurant sector waste, which constitutes 14 percent. She stated that "zero-waste kitchen" recipes aim to transform this waste into new products or ingredients.
Pointing out that reducing food waste depends on the awareness of those who manage and use kitchens, Dr. Seçmeler said: "The understanding of not wasting, which existed in Anatolian culinary culture, has unfortunately decreased in its transmission from generation to generation. Our lack of awareness of some traditional recipes and practices developed with this mindset has also contributed to increased consumption and waste."
"WE ARE WORKING TO INCREASE SOCIAL AWARENESS"
Emphasizing that detailed research reveals many recipes for re-evaluating food waste in the kitchen, Dr. Özge Seçmeler said that the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts has implemented a "zero-waste kitchen" project within the scope of the "Social Responsibility" course. Dr. Seçmeler noted that under the coordination of Lecturer Yaşar Sevimli, they share zero-waste kitchen recipes and content aimed at increasing social awareness created by students on their Instagram account, making them available as open-source resources.
HALVA FROM PEPPER AND SQUASH PEELS, COOKIES FROM MELON SEEDS
Dr. Seçmeler explained that implementing zero-waste kitchen recipes in homes and restaurants will reduce food waste. She stated that her student Ahmet Karakaş developed successful and innovative zero-waste kitchen recipes as part of his graduation project and shared them on social media. Dr. Seçmeler, expressing pride in her student's developed recipes, said:
"Our student created a menu with recipes for halva from pepper stems and squash peels, Brule and Arabiata from potato peels, and cookies from melon seeds. Anticipating the future now, we need to increase the number of these recipes and ensure their widespread adoption to counter the scarcity and drought mentioned by experts."
"CONTRIBUTION TO HOUSEHOLD ECONOMICS"
Dr. Seçmeler noted that establishing zero-waste kitchen awareness and ensuring accessibility to each newly developed recipe will provide significant gains, particularly for household economics and environmental problems. She emphasized that it will also be possible to use non-edible organic waste for different purposes to reduce the carbon footprint and damage to the environment. Dr. Seçmeler added that EU research funds support smart home projects, and that it will be possible to develop smart and zero-waste kitchens through innovative device designs and home systems.
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