Food Waste – Do we truly understand our food packaging?

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Did you know that a recent Too Good To Go survey revealed that 25% of the public throw away food past its best-before date without checking if it’s still edible? Similarly, 29% of the respondents admitted to throwing away food solely because of the best-before date. That’s certainly a concerning statistic, but the good news is that we can all make a difference and reduce food waste.

Too Good To Go is an organisation that aims to inspire and empower everyone to save food together through its app and various initiatives worldwide. According to recent data, 19.4 million food items are wasted daily, adding to a shocking 135.8 million per week!

The survey also revealed that 16-24-year-olds throw away an average of three items per week, compared to over 55’s who throw away one item per week. However, 55% of UK adults over 55 keep food past its “best before” date, whereas only 28% of those aged 16-24 do, which Too Good To Go said is due to confusion over date labels.

One of the main reasons households are a significant contributor to food waste is that many of us don’t know the difference between “Best Before,” “Sell By,” “Display Until,” and “Use By.” It’s worth noting that older generations are the most knowledgeable about properly storing food, with 70% claiming they are confident in this area, compared to 48% of those aged 16-24.

The survey also found that 11% of respondents didn’t feel confident explaining the definition of the “sell by” date on food items, and 14% were not confident in describing the “display until” date. This highlights the need for better education and awareness of food waste.

Food Waste Market

Vegetables at a Market

Jamie Crummie, the co-founder of Too Good To Go, commented, “We are on a mission to fight food waste and believe that by adapting your habits, you make the most out of everything you buy.

“One of the reasons households are a main contributor to food waste is because many of us don’t know the difference between ‘Best Before’, ‘Sell By’, ‘Display Until’ and ‘Use By’. This is causing a whopping 10% of Europe’s food waste – 9,000,000 tonnes across Europe each year. 

“At Too Good To Go, we are encouraging households to sense-check food instead of blindly binning it due to a lapsed date with our ‘Look, Smell, Taste, Don’t Waste’ advice. It is a simple way for households to reduce food waste, save money and cut down their emissions.”

If you’ve not heard of Too Good To Go, one of our staff members, Marketing Assistant Natasha, has personally recommended it. She’s used the app several times in her local area and commented on its pros and cons. “You need to understand that what you get is a complete surprise before using it. 

“Some days, you’ll get an amazing bag full of veg, meat, and some treats. On other occasions, you can end up with five boxes of tomatoes and wonder how much soup that will make. But it saves money and the environment. 

“The first box I got was from a café; I remember paying £4 and getting two sandwiches, four pastries and four sweet treats; they actually lasted us the weekend, well worth the money!”

Too Good To Go

Screenshot of App, Too Good To Go

Have you heard of ‘Look, Smell, Taste’?

Did you know that Too Good To Go has launched a new campaign that aims to encourage people to reduce food waste and help the environment? A.R. Richards Ltd is fully supportive of this initiative as it promotes the idea of saving perfectly edible food from being thrown away. By participating in this campaign, you can contribute towards a sustainable future and positively impact our planet.

Look
Look

Check the food for signs of visual decay.

Smell
Smell

Sniff the food to test whether it smells as it usually would.

Lips
Taste

Taste a small amount of the food to check whether it has turned unusually tangy or sour. But we don’t recommend doing this with any meat!

So, what do the different labels mean?

A.R. Richards Ltd is dedicated to helping everyone save on waste, and we believe that by carefully reading labels, we can all save our food from being wasted. So, next time you’re at the grocery store, take a moment to read the labels and make an informed choice to reduce food waste.

Food Packaging

Collection of Packaged Food

Use by

Food products such as fish, meat, and salads are often labelled with a “use by” date. This label indicates that the food may spoil if consumed after the given date, which could cause harm to your health. However, if you freeze the food before the “use by” date, it can be safely stored for later consumption. Nevertheless, it’s essential to use your senses of sight and smell to assess any food in this category before consuming it, even if it’s still within its “use by” date.

Best Before

When you encounter canned, dried, or frozen foods, they often display the label “Best Before.” While such foods may still be safe for consumption, they may not have the same taste and texture as a fresh batch. In such cases, it is advisable to rely on your sense of sight and smell to determine the edibility of the food.

Display Until or Sell By

This covers nearly all products. The label is mainly there so staff know how long the product has been on the shelf. It shouldn’t concern you, but it is always best to check the product when you see this label. It is worth noting that these labels are not mandatory by law, but most stores use them to ensure the safety and well-being of their customers.

A.R. Richards Ltd catches the waste food!

Anaerobic Digestion Plant

If you read our previous blog talking about food waste, you’ll learn about a process called Anaerobic Digestion, it’s definitely worth the read! A.R. Richards Ltd delivers food waste to these plants occasionally to continue the effort to protect our environment.

Anaerobic Digestion Plants are an effective way to manage organic waste while generating renewable energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, it’s important to remember that preventing food waste is still the most sustainable option. To reduce food waste, we encourage everyone to adopt mindful consumption habits and learn to identify whether food is still fresh and safe to eat by looking, smelling, and tasting it. By doing so, we can not only help the environment but also save money and resources.

A.R. Richards Ltd can help separate your food waste, we have specific bins that can be delivered and collected on a schedule. Our Euro Bin department can help arrange this bin and collection specifications at your convenience. As mentioned last week, they are here to advise and help manage any waste streams for your business, and on some occasions, they can help with household enquiries or events!

So, get in touch with us today by phone or email and see if we can assist you with any food waste!