The Department of Food and Nutrition at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) proudly hosted a book launch on Friday, 08 September 2023, at the Rendezvous Restaurant on the Steve Biko Campus. The event celebrated the launch of the eagerly awaited “Compleating Zero Waste Cookbook and Guide.”
Head of Department at the Department of Food and Nutrition, Dr Heleen Grobbelaar, welcomed the guests to the launch of Compleating-“Complete Eating”, a book that not only informs but also inspires people to embark on a journey towards a more sustainable way of eating and living.
“This book is more than just words on pages-it is our commitment to making a positive change in the world. In an era marked by unprecedented environmental challenges and a growing global population, the choices we make about how we manage household food waste have profound implications for our planet and future generations. We are at a pivotal moment in history where our actions at home can no longer be detached from the broader context of sustainability,” she said.
Dr. Grobbelaar explained that the concept of sustainable living goes beyond just the food on peoples’ plates; it encompasses the entire life cycle of one’s meals, from production to disposal, and its impact on the environment, society, and health.
“This book we are launching is a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration, carefully curated to empower each one of us to make more conscious and sustainable choices when dealing with food waste on a household level. Through compelling practical tips and delicious recipes, this book reminds us that sustainability can be a source of joy, creativity, and fulfilment. In fact, we can discover a world of culinary delights that are not only good for our taste buds but also for our planet. As we launch this book, we also launch a movement towards a more sustainable future,” she stressed.
Dr Grobbelaar commented that it is a call to action for each person to be mindful of the consequences of food waste and to recognise that every person holds the power to make a positive difference.
“In closing, I want to express my gratitude to the authors Ashika Naicker and Anjella Reddy and everyone involved in bringing this book to life-including our postgraduate students who collected data on this project and Lungi Nhlanhla-one of our past students, for her contribution to the food styling of the recipes. Also, a big thank you to our third-year students who prepared the dishes in the book for us to enjoy. So, let us celebrate this book as more than just a publication but as a catalyst for change, a roadmap towards a more sustainable future, and a testament to the power of individuals coming together for a common cause,” she relayed jubilantly.
One of the cookbook’s authors, Ashika Naicker, spoke of the department’s story, which started in 2020 during the first lockdown period upon receiving a CSIR grant. She relayed the context of how the cookbook came to the fore.
She explained that the story began with research in the KwaDuguza municipality, whereby the department set out to calculate household food waste, the environmental impact, and economic and nutritional loss through a randomised control trial. As part of the trial, households received a household food waste toolkit. Hence, the development of several tools to reduce household food waste, including the recipe book, Cookalong lessons, plantable coasters etc.
“Two years ago, Sanrika Sahadeo started with the recipe book and other tool development, such as the plantable coasters. The plantable coasters aimed to concscientise the experiment group on the impact of household food waste. She encouraged the guests to throw the plantable coasters into their gardens, and one will see the benefit of seeing chillies and peppers growing in one’s garden. It’s a combination of everybody’s work. It was an excellent collaborative effort in terms of the research study, and it’s the first intervention study in South Africa. There was lots of learning from our end, as we did not get everything right the first time. We are very proud of the book, which will be freely available online soon,” she said.
The second cookbook author, Anjella Reddy, spoke of her love for the sterling cookbook and was instrumental in developing the recipes. “On behalf of DUT, the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Department of Food and Nutrition, a warm welcome to you. I wanted to tell you that the person behind all of this and who has great vision is Dr Naicker. Together on her path, she took many of us on it, and that’s why we are here, launching this piece of work. She further thanked her third-year Food and Nutrition students for their incredible work in cooking the items for the launch. Guests were then invited to a scrumptious tasting of the delicious recipes in the cookbook,” said Reddy.
Pictured: A picture of the Compleating Zero Waste Cookbook and Guide.
Pictured: One of the cookbook’s authors, Ashika Naicker.
Pictured: Attendees sampling the scrumptious recipes at the launch.
Waheeda Peters
