Less waste

How children are already becoming “food savers”

Monika Heis (right) enthusiastically guides school classes through the sensory lab.(Bild: Thomas Topf)

What does "old" yogurt actually smell like? Like freshly bought, as long as it's okay. In the "Tafel Österreich" sensory laboratory, schoolchildren and adults alike can test it and sharpen their senses. The aim is to counteract food waste.

"It all smells just as good," says one pupil, amazed, as she is asked to pick out the yogurt that is past its best-before date from three yogurt pots. Yes, because the milk product is not yet broken. The best-before date is not an expiration date (there is no such thing on products)!

Fortunately, the smell of spoiled food is no longer part of everyday life. However, this also means that we often throw away intact food simply because we can't classify it accurately. Anyone who has never had this explained to them - and that is most of us by now - is well served by a visit to the "Tafel Österreich" sensory laboratory.

Volunteers rescue donated food for social purposes every day.(Bild: Die Tafel Österreich/Thomas Topf)

The "Tafel" idea is based on the vision that surpluses from food production should be distributed fairly and that everyone should be able to eat a healthy and balanced diet. On the one hand, the aim is to prevent waste and destruction and, on the other, to alleviate poverty. Sensory lab manager Monika Heis has found that the participants particularly enjoy using and training their senses in the workshops she leads: "This shows that our nose alone is an extremely reliable guide to the suitability of food for consumption."

At the individual stations, visitors learn all about mold, how to make curd cheese themselves and that whey is a valuable by-product. At the "KostBAR", different foods in the five basic flavors are explored blindfolded. After each sample, the impressions are discussed and written down. Finally, there are instructions on how to store the fridge so that everything in it stays fresh for as long as possible.

The workshops at the Vienna Wholesale Market in Liesing are mainly attended by school classes, but there is also growing interest among adults (e.g. students, companies). Fortunately, more and more consumers are concerned about food waste. The offer is suitable for participants aged 8 and over. The enthusiasm is so great that many become food savers themselves.

Our senses as "bodyguards"
"The simple realization that we ourselves are a great detector for freshness and suitability for consumption is surprising and fun for many participants. You learn to rely on your own perception and that our senses function like the body's own 'bodyguards'," says Monika Heis.

Facts

Last year, 75 sensory lab workshops were held with a total of 2248 participants. Further information can be found here.

New experiments are constantly being developed in collaboration with "Jugend am Werk" and people with learning difficulties are involved in the project in the spirit of active inclusion.