Ramsey County is helping residents save money on groceries by reducing waste

Ramsey County is working to help people use more of the food they buy to prevent waste and save money.

The goal of the Save Food, Spend Less campaign is to provide information families can use throughout the year.

Beth Carreño, environmental health supervisor, describes food waste as a significant problem.

“Forty percent of our food in the United States is wasted,” she said. “That’s like going to the grocery store and buying 10 oranges and going home and just deciding to throw away four of them.”

The waste costs the average family of four about $3,000 per year, according to Carreño.

“Those statistics were developed before the increase in food prices we’re seeing,” she said.

Carreño explained the October campaign focuses on awareness rather than shame to help families get the most out of each grocery run. She recommends using and...