With record-high food inflation as well as empty shelves due to supply issues, shoppers will no-doubt want to get the most out of their groceries.
Many shoppers will relate to the frustration of opening up a bag of salad only to find slimy leaves just days after the big food shop. Unfortunately, bagged spinach and salad leaves have a short shelf life and are one of the most wasted foods.
To help reduce waste and get the most out of your grocery shops, the consumer experts at Which? have shared some simple tips and tricks, including a kitchen roll hack for saving food.
Which? said its 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 to absorb excess moisture.
Bagged spinach and salad leaves have a short shelf life and are one of the most wasted foods. Which? said its 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 to absorb excess moisture.
Alternatively, remove leaves from the bag, dry them and transfer them to an airtight container lined with kitchen roll.
The consumer experts also recommend keeping fruit and veg in the fridge, trying frozen instead of fresh food and keeping in mind that food can still be safe to eat after its 'best before' date.
And recently, climate action charity Waste and Resources Action Programme found that UK households were wasting as much as a sixth of the food they buy. This amounts to 4.5 million tonnes of edible food wasted annually, with each household chucking away around £210 a year.
Reena Sewraz, Which? Money Expert, comments: "No one wants to waste food and money, especially with the cost of living crisis putting huge pressure on household budgets and food waste having such a big environmental impact.
"Those prepared to opt for frozen foods in the supermarket will likely find some great value alternatives to fresh foods.
"Pay attention to use-by and best before dates and take advantage of fresh foods that can be frozen to avoid wasting food."
It comes after shoppers faced record-high prices for their grocery shopping as food inflation reached 17.1 percent in February. Those who do not change their shopping habits face annual grocery bills that are £811 higher than they would have been a year ago.
Kantar, the data and insights company which published the February food inflation figures, said that "the numbers speak for themselves".
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