South West urged to face freezer fears
Research released as part of Food Safety Week 4-10 July has shown 64 percent of people in the South West have unnecessarily thrown food away in the past month.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) are urging the public in the South West to face their “freezer fear” to tackle the issue of food waste.
FSA’s research showed that 33 percent of people interviewed said it is dangerous to freeze cooked meat, and 41 percent believe food becomes unsafe to eat while in the freezer.
The most common reason that was found for throwing away food was that if it is past it’s ‘use by’ date it is no longer good to eat, however 51 Percent said they felt guilty when throwing food away.
Helen White, Food waste expert at Love Food Hate Waste said: “In the UK households waste the equivalent of 6 meals a week.
“Freezing food is one of the little things we can all do to make a big difference and the best bit is that most foods can be frozen, even those you wouldn’t expect.”
The agency are working to reduce these freezing “myths” that are preventing people from making food go further by helping people to understand how to waste less food by making the most of their freezers.
Working alongside Defra and WRAP, FSA has announced it will be launching a review of the guidance provided to the food industry on dates marked on food.
Steve Wearne, Director of Policy at the FSA said: “Every year, we throw away seven million tonnes of food and drink from our homes. Much of this waste is unnecessary.
“The freezer is like a pause button, so you can freeze foods right up to the ‘use by’ date. While food is kept safe in the freezer, it’s the quality that deteriorates over time, so we recommend eating it within 3-6 months.”
Teignbridge is backing the FSA to encourage residents to help tackle to problem of food waste, and to use their freezers more.
Councillor Sylvia Russell, Teignbridge District Councils executive member for Health and Wellbeing said: “Lots of people believe food can only be frozen on the day of purchase, but the freezers like a pause button and you can safely freeze most foods.”
Many people are unaware of how long food will last for when frozen correctly and before its ‘use by’ date, which the FSA is campaigning to change.
Kevin Hargin, head of Foodborne Disease control at the FSA said: “Our research shows that many of the fears the public has are unfounded and we need to ensure they know the facts.”
For more information on freezing safely visit www.food.gov.uk/useby or follow @foodgov on Twitter for tips and advice.
