HOW BRIGG HOUSEHOLDS CAN SAVE £470

FROM KIRSTY WESTFIELD, NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL

This week, 4 to 10 July, is Food Safety Week and we are encouraging people to reduce the amount of food they waste each week.
In the UK, seven million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away from homes every year; the majority of which could have been eaten. Wasting this food costs the average household £470 a year.
The main reasons why good food is thrown away is that people buy or make too much food or it isn’t used in time.
We are supporting the Food Standards Agency’s Food Safety Week 2016 to focus on ways in which we can all waste less food – safely.
Here are some top tips to help reduce food waste:

• Know the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates. ‘Use by’ dates are the most important date to consider as these relate to food safety. ‘Best before’ dates are about quality, not safety. When the date is passed, it doesn’t mean that the food will be harmful, but it might begin to lose its flavour and texture.
• You can freeze pretty much everything. Foods can be stored safely in a correctly functioning freezer for years without going off. Most foods can be frozen including fruit, chillies, potatoes, milk, cooked meat and bread. You can even freeze cheese with the exception of soft cheese. The freezer is like a pause button. Whilst food is kept safe in the freezer, it’s the quality that deteriorates over time, so it is recommended that it is eaten within three to six months and check for any freezing instructions on the packaging.Once defrosted, the pause button is off, so it’s best to defrost food as required and eat within 24 hours.
• Freeze food before the ‘use by’ date. Many people believe food can only be frozen on the day of purchase, however you can safely freeze most foods right yp to the ‘use by’ date. Although it would be good to freeze it as soon as you know you aren’t going to use it before its ‘use by’ date expires.
• Freeze leftover cooked meat from your roasts. You can cook defrosted meat into a new meal and freeze for use on another day. Simply defrost overnight in the fridge (be careful that raw meat doesn’t drip on any other foods in the fridge and check it is thoroughly defrosted). Use within 24 hours and cook until steaming hot.
• Make the most of multi-buys. You can buy large packets of meat (such as chicken breasts) and freeze them individually in smaller bags. You can also cook enough for two (or more) meals and eat one and freeze some for another day; this avoids waste and minimises the effort of cooking. Most of what is in peoples’ freezers is both bought frozen or bought fresh and then frozen.
• Batching cooking. Cooking new meals from leftovers and freezing of homemade foods can be a great way of saving money (and time) and using up foods approaching their ‘use by’ date as well as reducing waste.
• Wrap up. It is best to place food in an air tight container or wrap food well in foil, freezer wrap or cling film before placing in the freezer, otherwise the cold air will dry it out. Try to expel any air from freezer bags.
• Planning. Try and get into the habit of checking what you already have in the fridge and freezer before you go shopping. Use up foods that are approaching their ‘use by’ date and other fresh foods like fruit and vegetables, meat, fish, cheese or milk first as they can go off over time.
• Small changes can make a big difference and everyone can play their part. Almost 50 per cent of food waste comes from our homes.

Remember – eat it, cook it or freeze it by its ‘use by’ date. To help you, the Food Standards Agency has developed some handy freezing tips; see more at www.good.gov.uk/useby or for more fantastic freezer facts, visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
The Food Standards Agency would also warn people to not trust the sniff test. Food can look and smell fine even after its use by date, but that doesn't mean it's safe to eat. It could still be contaminated. You cannot see, smell or taste the bugs that cause food poisoning.
Coun Neil Poole, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We are all guilty of wasting good food, when all we need to do is plan ahead to reduce food waste. If you are unsure on what you can and can’t freeze and when you should be freezing food and drink, take a look at the Food Standards Agency for helpful tips.
“By forward planning with your meals each week, you could save hundreds of pounds each year and reduce the amount of food wasted each week.”