Food Waste Action Week

As WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme) launch their first ever “Food Waste Action Week” this week, Worcestershire County Council are asking people to realise the impact that food waste has on the environment.

A lot of water, land, energy, time and transportation goes into producing our food, yet In the UK over 4.5 million tonnes of perfectly edible food are thrown away: costing the average household over £700 per year. And that’s enough to make 10 million meals, which in a time when reliance on food banks is higher than ever, is a really shocking thing to hear.

“But surely the supermarkets waste more food than the householders?” we hear you say. No - 70% of all food wasted in the UK is thrown away at home, so everyone has a part to play in reducing this figure. Luckily this year, for Food Waste Action Week, here are some things you can try to stop wasted food feeding climate change:

1. It’s a date! People find dates labels confusing, which leads to unnecessarily wasted food. “Use By” is about safety – food should not be eaten after this date (especially fish, dairy, eggs and meat), but sometimes a bit of common sense and your nose can make the decision for you. “Best Before” is about quality – food won’t be the best quality after this date, but is still perfectly safe for you to eat.

2. Compleat Are you always binning crusts or broccoli stems? Over two thirds of the food we waste is perfectly edible, so using every edible bit of your food is important. Broccoli and cauliflower stems have so much flavour so add them to stews or stir fries. Try leaving the skin on when making mash potatoes – saves time as well!

3. Chill the fridge out The average fridge temperature in UK homes is nearly 7°C, but foods will last longer if they are kept at under 5°C.

4. Perfect portions The thing that is wasted most is rice and pasta – people always cook far too much. You can buy scoops that measure out the right amount of rice or you can use a mug, which is enough dried rice for 4 adults.

5. Savvy storage Most fruit and veg stay fresher for longer in the fridge, with the exception of bananas and pineapples. Onions and potatoes prefer a cool, dark place like a cupboard. The Love Food Hate Waste website (www. lovefoodhatewaste.com) has a really good A-Z of Storage which will help you if you are unsure what’s the best way to store food.

6. Use your freezer as your friend All foods can be frozen up to their “Use By” date, even meat. Pop fresh herbs into an ice cube tray with olive oil so you have some to use in a recipe at a later date.

7. Use your loaf Bread freezes beautifully and people don’t realise this. Put your sliced loaf in the freezer and you can pick it out and straight into the toaster.

8. Stop the UFO’s (Unidentified Frozen Objects) Before you freeze your leftovers label the bag/container, so you know what is inside and when it was frozen. n

For more information about cutting your food waste visit www.lovefoodhatewaste. com or for help with reducing your waste visit www.letswasteless.com.