Six ways to reduce food waste and save money

No one wants to waste food and money, especially with the cost of living crisis, with climate action charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) finding out that UK consumers throw out around a sixth of the food they buy, costing each of us £210 a year on average.

So here we have simple tips from Which? that could help you tackle an environmental issue and at the same time save money.

1. Try frozen instead of fresh

Buying frozen foods is an easy way to minimise waste and save money. Which? research captured the prices of own-brand fresh and frozen products across nine major supermarkets, and in most cases the frozen versions were cheaper than fresh foods.

The consumer body calculated the price per 100 grams for each item and used those figures to determine a price range of what you could expect to pay for the fresh version of the product compared to the frozen version. For example, frozen raspberries were between 42p and £1.07 per 100g, significantly cheaper than fresh raspberries which ranged from £1.26 to £1.80 per 100g.

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The additional benefit of frozen food is that you only use what you need – the remainder can be stored in the freezer for next time. This significantly reduces the risk of throwing away food, and saves you money in the long term. Freezing can also extend the lifespan of fresh foods, such as milk, bread, eggs and cheese.

2. Use common sense with best-before dates

Use-by and best-before dates often get confused, but they're not the same thing. Best-before dates refer to quality and are typically found on bread, frozen, tinned and dried foods. The food will be at its 'best' before this date, but is still safe to eat after the date has passed.

In recent years, many supermarkets have actually removed best-before dates from fruit and vegetables and improved packaging information, in an attempt to reduce food waste. Use by dates on milk and cheese have been changed to best before dates.

These products can still be safe to consume if past their best – a sniff test is sufficient for milk, or look for signs of mould or curdling.

Common sense should also be used for fruit and vegetables. Anything that is smelly, mouldy or slimy should be avoided.

3. Pay attention to use-by dates

Use-by dates relate to safety – a product is safe to eat up until the date given, beyond that there is a risk of food poisoning. These dates are found on highly perishable foods such as raw and cooked meat and fish, bagged salads, and dips such as houmous.

For most products with a use-by date you do need to be cautious. Eating foods that are outside of their use-by date can mean ingesting harmful bacteria and developing food poisoning.

Shoppers should keep an eye on use-by dates, and only buy products that they know they can consume in the timeframe given. Anything that won’t be used in time can be frozen before the use-by date.

4. Keep fruit and veg in the fridge

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recently changed its advice for storing potatoes, until now the official advice has been to store your potatoes in a cool, dark cupboard and not in the fridge.

While it was previously considered dangerous to store them in the fridge, new research has found that this isn’t the case – and storing in the fridge actually increases the shelf life as well.

The same applies to other fruits and vegetables. Research from the WRAP looked at the impact on the shelf life of keeping fruit and veg in the fridge versus storing them in a fruit bowl or larder, and found the former preserves them for longer.

They uncovered that apples that have been refrigerated last between 69 and 77 days longer (depending on whether they were packaged or not). Broccoli also lasted significantly longer in the fridge than out.

5. Check the 'reduced' aisle in supermarkets

Most supermarkets have a 'reduced' aisle or area of the shop with items reduced that day. These are items, often adorned with yellow stickers, that have been discounted due to imminent use-by dates or minor damage.

Read more: Supermarket value ranges soar in price with milk and cheese 20% more expensive

If you don't regularly pick things up from here, this tip could definitely save you money. Only buy products that you know you will eat soon, or that you can freeze to eat later.

6. Make salad items last longer

Bagged spinach and salad leaves have a short shelf life and are one of the most wasted foods.

Which? members reported extending the life of bagged salads by adding a sheet of kitchen roll to the bag once it's opened and sealing it with a clip. This helps to absorb excess moisture.

Alternatively, remove leaves from the bag, dry them and transfer them to an airtight container lined with kitchen roll.

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