2022年12月18日 VOA慢速英語：公司開發(fā)技術來處理食物垃圾

 

Restaurants, farmers, and food businesses are turning to chemistry and physics to deal with the problem of food waste.
餐館、農民和食品企業(yè)正在轉向化學和物理學來處理食物浪費問題。
 
Some companies are testing coverings to slow the ripening process in fruit and packets to keep food fresh. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell when meat is safe to eat.
一些公司正在測試覆蓋物以減緩水果和包裝的成熟過程以保持食物新鮮。其他人正在開發(fā)可以判斷肉類何時可以安全食用的數(shù)字傳感器。
 
Background
背景

Experts say growing awareness of the costs of food waste has led to more efforts to deal with the problem. ReFed is a group that studies food waste. It says new businesses have raised $300 billion in 2021, double the amount raised in 2020, to deal with the problem.
專家表示，人們越來越意識到食物浪費的代價，因此采取了更多措施來解決這個問題。ReFed 是一個研究食物浪費的組織。它表示，新企業(yè)在 2021 年籌集了 3000 億美元，是 2020 年籌集資金的兩倍，以解決這個問題。
 
The group estimates that in 2019, around 35 percent of food available in the U.S. — worth about $418 billion — went unsold or uneaten. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that food waste is the largest kind of material placed in local waste areas. And the agency notes that rotting food releases methane, a gas that is not good for the environment.
該組織估計，2019 年，美國約有 35% 的食品（價值約 4180 億美元）未售出或未被食用。美國環(huán)境保護署表示，食物垃圾是當?shù)乩鴧^(qū)放置的最大的一種物質。該機構指出，腐爛的食物會釋放出甲烷，這是一種對環(huán)境不利的氣體。
 
ReFed estimates 225,000 kilograms of food could be kept out of waste areas each year with special, high-tech coverings.
ReFed 估計，通過特殊的高科技覆蓋物，每年可以避免 225,000 公斤食物進入垃圾區(qū)。
 
Many companies are working on ways to help reduce food waste.
許多公司正在研究幫助減少食物浪費的方法。
 
Sweden-based Innoscentia is developing a sensor that can show if meat is safe to eat by measuring the buildup of microbes inside its container. And Ryp Labs, based in the U.S. and Belgium, is working on a sticker for fruits and vegetables that would release gas to slow ripening.
總部位于瑞典的 Innoscentia 正在開發(fā)一種傳感器，該傳感器可以通過測量容器內微生物的積累來顯示肉類是否可以安全食用。位于美國和比利時的 Ryp Labs 正在研究一種用于水果和蔬菜的貼紙，這種貼紙可以釋放氣體以延緩成熟。
 
SavrPak has developed a plant-based packet that can fit inside a container and take in moisture, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier.
SavrPak 開發(fā)了一種植物基包裝，可以裝在容器內并吸收水分，幫助保持里面的食物更熱更脆。
 
Issues
問題

But the cost can be a barrier for some companies and shoppers. Kroger, the largest food-store company in the U.S., ended its deal with Apeel Sciences this year. The deal ended because Kroger said shoppers were not willing to pay more for fruits with Apeel's special covering to keep them fresh.
但成本可能成為一些公司和購物者的障礙。美國最大的食品商店公司克羅格今年結束了與 Apeel Sciences 的交易。這筆交易結束了，因為克羅格表示，購物者不愿意為帶有 Apeel 特殊覆蓋物以保持新鮮的水果支付更多費用。
 
Apeel says its special covering is made of common food additives. It says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while treated oranges can last for several weeks. The company says that it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology.
Apeel 表示，其特殊的覆蓋物是由常見的食品添加劑制成的。它說經(jīng)過處理的牛油果可以多保存幾天，而經(jīng)過處理的橙子可以保存幾周。該公司表示，它繼續(xù)與克羅格討論其他未來技術。
 
Another big issue is how to deal with different care requirements for different kinds of food to prevent waste.
另一個大問題是如何處理不同種類食物的不同護理要求，以防止浪費。
 
"There is no one major change that can improve the situation," said Randy Beaudry of Michigan State University's school of agriculture.
密歇根州立大學農學院的 Randy Beaudry 說：“沒有任何重大變化可以改善這種情況。”
 
Beaudry said the complexity of the issue has caused some food waste projects to fail. He added that it is also hard to sort out which technology works best since new companies do not always share data with outside researchers.
Beaudry 說，這個問題的復雜性導致一些食物垃圾項目失敗了。他補充說，也很難找出哪種技術最有效，因為新公司并不總是與外部研究人員共享數(shù)據(jù)。
 
Some companies find it better to use proven technology in new ways.
一些公司發(fā)現(xiàn)以新的方式使用成熟的技術會更好。
 
For example, Chicago-based Hazel Technologies has been selling a chemical compound, called 1-MCP, that is used in a room to slow the ripening process in fruit. The company now sells packets that can slowly release 1-MCP into small containers of fruits.
例如，總部位于芝加哥的 Hazel Technologies 一直在銷售一種名為 1-MCP 的化合物，該化合物在室內用于減緩水果的成熟過程。該公司現(xiàn)在銷售可以將 1-MCP 緩慢釋放到小水果容器中的包裝。
 
Mike Mazie oversees BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan. He ordered around 3,000 of the packets this year to use for apples that could not fit inside rooms treated with the compound.
Mike Mazie 負責監(jiān)督 BelleHarvest，這是一家位于密歇根州貝爾丁的大型蘋果包裝廠。他今年訂購了大約 3,000 包，用于裝不下經(jīng)過該化合物處理的房間的蘋果。
 
"If you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldn't you?" he said. "It absolutely makes a difference.
“如果你能從一蒲式耳的蘋果中得到另一個星期，你為什么不呢？” 他說。“這絕對會有所作為。
 
The science is promising, but it is only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera. She is the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
科學是有前途的，但這只是解決方案的一部分，Yvette Cabrera 說。她是自然資源保護委員會的食物垃圾主管。
 
Most food waste happens at home, she said. Reducing food sizes, buying smaller quantities, or improving the accuracy of freshness date could have even more effects than new technology.
她說，大多數(shù)食物浪費都發(fā)生在家里。減少食物的份量、減少購買量或提高新鮮日期的準確性可能比新技術產生更大的影響。
 
"Overall as a society, we don't value food as it should be valued," Cabrera said.
“總的來說，作為一個社會，我們不重視食物，因為它應該被重視，”卡布雷拉說。