As a McDonalds employee from the early 90's, I can vouch for that food being perfectly good days later - well, at least edible

- but the prevalence of regulations and lawyers has stifled reason. As an atheist, I'm not one to quote the bible, but many of the moral lessons are valid - "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien."
Same goes for Medical options. Giving everyone free insurance doesn't fix the reason people need insurance for a simple physical.
That waste cost is less than $1 per person in the US. I have a feeling we're exaggerating the issue, and a large percentage (I'll make up a 95% number) have leftovers and little goes to waste.