What's Causing Britain's Food Waste?

[dave50]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-41973919/what-s-causing-britain-s-food-waste
A lot of it is to do with the idiots who slavishly follow the use by and sell by dates and throw the food away on the stroke of midnight of that date instead of using common sense by looking and smelling it, that will tell you if it's ok to eat or not. We hardly throw any food away in our house. Don't know how on earth my grandma went on and how she lived to such a ripe old age without the nanny state telling her when to bin food.

[anotheoldgit]

The point being though, that in your grandmother's day, the food was fresh and not frozen, precessed etc as most of today's food is.

[Mamyalynne]

I too waste very little, well planned shopping and meal planning is key.

[EcclesCake]

3 for 2 offers and the such like lure people into over purchasing because it is seen as a bargain.

I seriously question AOGs assertion that 'most' of today's food is frozen or processed!

[Ken4155]

Read a report the other day that said some of the wastage was down to the fact many of us now buy in bulk rather than buying for each individual meal. Living on my own, i never buy 5lb of spuds or a bag of carrots as i would almost certainly end up throwing some of them out.

[naomi24]

In your grandmother's day there were no big supermarkets and most ordinary people didn't own a car, so bags of shopping had to be carried home. People shopped on a day by day basis at local shops, buying only what they needed for that day. No heaving trollies then.

[Prudie]

I'll admit that we do throw a little food away each week. We both work long hours and do one food shop a week. It's a combination of over-shopping, stuff coming in too big a packet, plans changing and yes even a bit because of use by dates. White sliced bread for example is mouldy within 6 days.

[Old_Geezer]

The older system worked better when society had one adult to deal with household stuff and another to bring home a wage packet. Now almost no one has time to be shopping every day.

[-Talbot-]

People

[ummmm]

Everyone who has the internet has time to do shopping!

It's mainly salad that gets binned in our house even though I eat it most days. Things like iceberg lettuce and bags of rocket are too big to get through.

[mccfluff]

i shop most days, pop into the supermarket and get something for dinner/lunch on the way home. I try to save cash and waste by making extra for dinner and having it as lunch the next day.

[albaqwerty]

I think Eccles has nailed it, and unless you've got room in your freezer then meat may well go to waste.

Ummm, I now buy gem lettuce for that reson that an iceberg is too big, even when I've made loads of lunch-boxes through the week for 3, there's always a hefty chunk left.

[anotheoldgit]

EcclesCake

/// I seriously question AOGs assertion that 'most' of today's food is frozen or processed! ///

Question me all you like that is your prerogative, but it doesn't necessarily say that I am wrong.

Look at your supermarkets with their freezers and chill cabinets, name the food that is fresh straight from the fields or other suppliers?

How old are those sausages, bacon, meat, take the meat it has most likely been in a frozen container aboard a ship, all the way from New Zealand.

[Mamyalynne]

Careful use of the freezer can save wastage.

[shoota]

The problem with Icebergs is that there is another 2/3rds hidden away below the 1/3rd you can see....

[bhg481]

Ironically, putting an iceberg in the freezer doesn't help to preserve it.

[mccfluff]

the pork chop i got this morning - from a chiller cabinet in the supermarket - say they are outdoor bred from a british farm that meet their welfare standards
doesn't say when the pig was butchered but can't be that long ago.
I do have a potato to process, i need to cut it into wedges, season it and bake...

[EcclesCake]

Once again I am reminded why I never want to live in AOG World.

[mccfluff]

ahhh come on eccles, it could be fun :-D

[anneasquith]

Online shopping partly to blame, sell/ use by dates are sometimes shorter than if you did own shopping.

[mccfluff]

Whilst I do agree that sell by and use by dates do cause some waste, i think its more to do with people over shopping and just buying too much. 3 for 2's etc.