17% food waste could be slashed with frozen food

17% FOOD WASTE FIGURE
COULD BE SLASHED WITH FROZEN

The latest household food and drink report from Defra shows that households throw away 17% of all food bought - a figure that could be slashed if they opted for frozen equivalents instead.

Commenting on the report findings, Brian Young, director general of the British Frozen Food Federation said: "When millions of people in the world go to bed hungry every night, it's shocking to see that almost a fifth of food purchased is destined for the rubbish bin. If more consumers opted for frozen, there would be virtually zero waste from products perishing in the cupboard or fridge."

The ‘Household Food and Drink Waste linked to Food and Drink Purchases' research by Defra showed that of a total 5.3 million tonnes of avoidable waste, 32% is bread, 24% is potatoes and vegetables and 13% is meat and fish. Mr Young continued: "Frozen products can have shelf lives of around 12 months or more depending on the product and will remain in peak condition for the duration of this when stored correctly. Fast and organised harvest and slaughter to freeze methods ensure that nutrients and quality is locked in.

"However, fresh vegetables can spend up to 14 days in the supply chain where product quality and vitamin and mineral content declines. It is not surprising that fresh produce often perishes before it can be consumed."

Additional research from Defra shows that increased pressure on family budgets is still high with an average spending of £39.23 per person per week on food and drink. Mr Young continued: "Based on the research from Defra, we can estimate that the average person wastes up to £26.68 per month on food that they ultimately throw away. Over the course of a year, this works out at £346.84 - money which could go towards ever increasing household bills or leisure activities. Aside from monetary savings linked to waste, frozen food is often more competitively priced than its fresh equivalent as longer shelf lives allows more efficient production ensuring that supply always meets the demand."

Vegetable waste costs households £1540m per year while waste fruit costs £1190m. Mr Young added: "Technological advances in frozen food production mean that a wider variety of frozen fruit and vegetable products are now readily available. Frozen potatoes, for example, come in many different formats - from chips and roast potatoes to croquettes and baked potatoes - meaning that consumers don't need to buy fresh to get the end result they want. Delicate berries and exotic fruits are also widely available in a frozen format allowing consumers to get the pick of the crop year round - only defrosting as and when they want to eat them."

Single person households are likely to waste even more food with their total waste food and drink figure at 22%. In general, higher priced items were wasted at a lower rate than lower price items.

Mr Young concluded: "While the cost of living continues to rise, it makes no sense to throw money away on produce that will not be consumed. Choosing frozen food can help families and individuals take control of their budgets and eat nutritious food year round. It is unsustainable and morally wrong to keep throwing away fresh food. We must be intelligent in our food choices, using frozen wherever possible, to make sure that money spent at the supermarket translates to food in our tummies - not food in the bin."