Food wastage - eating only part of the food

Does anybody know if there is anything in Qur'an or Hadeeth that talks about eating only part of a food and leaving the rest? An example would be sucking the flesh off the pomegranate seeds and leaving the seed part uneaten, or eating a watermelon and spitting out the seeds. In both foods the seeds are a nutritionally rich part of the food and quite tasty (for some). But after they've been chewed at or spat out nobody else can really have them, so they go to waste. Would be different if they removed the seeds manually without using their mouths to do it (very hard, near impossible with pomegranates for example), so they can be left for someone else, but this is about spitting them.

I wonder if this simply falls under food wastage or if it's permissible. It's just I know a few people (muslims) that do this and it drives me up the wall because the seeds are perfectly good food. But there's no telling them, if perhaps I had some kind of convincing evidence that it's impermissible they might think twice?

I can think of a problem with this, some might argue that this could stretch on to edible but (for most people) unpalatable foods like orange skin.

Salaam

Amoeba said:

eating a watermelon and spitting out the seeds. In both foods the seeds are a nutritionally rich part of the food and quite tasty (for some).

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I don't know anyone who eats seeds of watermelon.

Amoeba said:

It's just I know a few people (muslims) that do this and it drives me up the wall because the seeds are perfectly good food.

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Just a quick question:

Is it only muslims that do not eat the seeds of the fruits?

I am trying to understand what the issue is here.

Muslim Woman said:

I don't of anyone who eats seeds of watermelon.

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me neither, that's why I asked the previous question.
I have traveled all over the world (I have been to literally 5 continents) and met people of various ethnicities and races and not once I saw someone ate pomegranate or watermelon seeds.

No it's not just muslims who don't but I expect more from muslims when it comes to reducing food waste.

But... I'm flabbergasted! Very surprised.

I did know it was uncommon to eat watermelon seeds, but certainly not unheard of (like roasted watermelon seeds, surely you've heard of those?), and I thought it was the norm to eat pomegranate seeds. In any case, the are a food, they are nutritionally rich, and it is a waste to throw them away (and taste good too if you give them a chance).

Okay, let's use another example that has cropped up from time to time.

Say somebody has a cooked chicken thigh with part of the spine and pelvis attached, and nestled in the pelvis is a large chicken liver. They eat the meat and nibble the meat around around the liver, getting their lips on it, but don't eat it. So because of this nobody else can eat it either (unless they're maybe a very close family member).

Is that a better example? How can I convince someone that it's wrong to do this if bringing up food wastage isn't enough? All those wasted livers add up to a lot of wasted calories and nutrients, just like the seeds, so that is the issue (as naidamar wanted to know what the issue was).

Good point, I never ever thought about that. One point to remember is most people are unaware that many seeds of fruits are edible. But it also must be kept in mind some seeds of even some common fruits can be dangerous. Apple seeds immediately come to mind, while eating the seeds of one or 2 apples would be harmless for most people others with a sensitivity to cyanogenic acids. (Cyanide) could get quite ill. although the amount is small and most people would have to eat about 20 apples at one sitting to get ill.

I think the problem is lack of education about what parts of food are edible and what parts aren't. In todays world it is now possible for people to get fruits and vegetables and other foods that are not native to their land. People just do not always know what parts of a food can be eaten.

I suspect a lot of edible stuff gets thrown away, simply because people do not know it is edible.

Many people in the Northern USA avoid pomegranates because they been told the seeds are poisonous. At one time it was believed cucumber seeds caused appendicitis, same with fig seeds. Can you imagine trying to eat a fig and spit out the seeds? For centuries people believed tomatoes were poisonous and until about
the mid 1800s they were primarily used for decoration. A lot of people are unaware that the parsley sprigs used to decorate your food platter in a restaurant are edible.

Education about food is lacking world wide.

Okay, good point, sorry I forgot to mention the particular people I'm talking about do know they're edible, they just "don't like them".

I'd completely understand if they were unaware, and would inform them. Wouldn't want poeple randomly trying seeds they don't know about, after all.

Amoeba said:

Okay, good point, sorry I forgot to mention the particular people I'm talking about do know they're edible, they just "don't like them".

I'd completely understand if they were unaware, and would inform them. Wouldn't want poeple randomly trying seeds they don't know about, after all.

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In that light if a person is throwing food away they know is edible or rendering it inedible for others that is wastage. I do not not see how that would differ from a person helping themselves to a large bowl of vegetable soup and spitting out the carrots.

Do you know anything that might support this and convince them?

The problem that they're having is that they don't like waste and they're trying to reduce it, but somehow they don't seem to think spitting out food they don't like is a bad thing when it's something small like that. Whenever I try to bring it up they tell me I'm being petty, or say "eugh that's NASTY" to the idea of eating them, and then I begin to wonder if I actually am being petty, but it still nags at my mind.

I wonder if your analogy would work on them?

Amoeba said:

Do you know anything that might support this and convince them?

The problem that they're having is that they don't like waste and they're trying to reduce it, but somehow they don't seem to think spitting out food they don't like is a bad thing when it's something small like that. Whenever I try to bring it up they tell me I'm being petty, or say "eugh that's NASTY" to the idea of eating them, and then I begin to wonder if I actually am being petty, but it still nags at my mind.

I wonder if your analogy would work on them?

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Perhaps you can use that and point out if they do not like the carrots they can pick them out with a spoon and offer them to anybody who would like them.

Amoeba said:

I did know it was uncommon to eat watermelon seeds, but certainly not unheard of (like roasted watermelon seeds, surely you've heard of those?),

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Ah, of course we do eat the roasted watermelon seeds.

I just havent seen someone purposefully eat watermelon seeds raw, when they eat watermelon

Amoeba said:

Say somebody has a cooked chicken thigh with part of the spine and pelvis attached, and nestled in the pelvis is a large chicken liver. They eat the meat and nibble the meat around around the liver, getting their lips on it, but don't eat it. So because of this nobody else can eat it either (unless they're maybe a very close family member).

Is that a better example? How can I convince someone that it's wrong to do this if bringing up food wastage isn't enough? All those wasted livers add up to a lot of wasted calories and nutrients, just like the seeds, so that is the issue (as naidamar wanted to know what the issue was).

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Well, here in Indonesia, we muslims eat almost every parts of chicken, goat, and cow. almost none wasted.

here's the qur'an verse:

“and eat and drink but waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al‑Musrifoon (those who waste by extravagance)”
[al-A’raaf 7:31]

and this the hadith that described how prophet Muhammad SAW forbid us from wasting food:

Anas ibn Maalik narrated that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate, he would lick his three fingers. Anas said: “And he said, ‘If any one of you drops a piece of food, let him remove any dirt from it and eat it, and not leave it for the Shaytaan.’ And he commanded us to clean the plate, and said, ‘For you do not know where in your food the blessing is.’”

Are those enough to convince you that Islam forbids wasting food?

naidamar said:

Ah, of course we do eat the roasted watermelon seeds.

I just havent seen someone purposefully eat watermelon seeds raw, when they eat watermelon

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Watermelons were originally cultivated for their seed. In the wild water melons are small and very bitter but the seeds were always good and used much like grains. Water melon rind is also edible and makes excellent pickles.

on't toss that watermelon rind out, make pickles from it with this easy recipe.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:

* 4 quarts prepared (see instructions) watermelon rind
* 2 Tablespoons salt
* 4 cups white vinegar
* 8 cups sugar
* 3 cinnamon sticks, broken
* 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
* 1 (1-inch) piece gingerroot (optional)

Preparation:
To prepare watermelon rind, cut rind into 2- x 1-inch pieces. Trim green skin and pink flesh from rind.

Place prepared rind in large kettle and add salt and enough boiling water to cover. Simmer until tender. Drain and chill rind in very cold water at least 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.

Combine vinegar, sugar and mixture of cinnamon, cloves and gingerroot tied in cheesecloth. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Drain watermelon rind and add to syrup. Simmer until rind becomes translucent, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard spices.

Pack rind and syrup into hot sterilized quart jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust lids and process in boiling water bath 20 minutes.

Yield: 4 quarts

Recipe Source: Los Angeles Times California Cookbook by Betsy Balsley (New American Library Trade)
Reprinted with permission.

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(oh, I accidentally lost my message, re-typing)

Thanks for that, Woodrow, it's useful to know the rind can be used too.

Thanks, naidamar, I think that should do it inshallah. If we've to eat things off the floor that we've dropped then surely it should be enough to convince them that refusing to eat what they don't like (when they put their mouth to it) is just as bad. I hope.