In a cost of living crisis, there’s one habit we can change to help save money – minimising the amount of food that goes to waste.
Kiwis are wasting billions each year by throwing out food. The numbers are staggering:
- Over $62 million worth of bread
- Leftovers; more than $140 million
- Fruit and veg, a staggering $290 million
- Over $191 million on meat and fish.
The Love Food Hate Waste team is calling on us to halve household food waste by 2030.
Spokesperson Dr Bevan Weir, also known as “The Mould Man”, has some quick tips to help curb the habit of wasting food and, consequently, money.
Weir is a mycologist normally based in a lab, but he popped over to TVNZ and gave the Seven Sharp fridge a once-over.
“I think a good place to start is to clear out one shelf and use it as an ‘eat me first’ shelf,” he told presenter Hilary Barry.
According to Weir, that one shelf should be devoted to food items that are about to go off, and its contents need to be first off the rank to be used.
Visibility is the key. Handy tip: Put “eat me first” stickers on any food that needs to be eaten soon-ish. You can grab some free stickers here.
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Weir noted that observing best-before dates is a matter of discretion. The food can be eaten as long as the item has been stored properly.
However, use-by dates — normally found on perishable foods such as meat, poultry and deli products — should be treated as “gospel”, said Weir.
Bread might be best to freeze, depending on your household and the volume you go through, he noted.
Mouldy nuts are a big no-no, because they’re extremely toxic, said Weir. Always biff them.
The sticker system is undoubtedly useful for busy households. A similar concept has worked a treat in Australia — they reduced food waste by 40% in households that used them.
Remember, it’s not just food that’s not wasted — it’s money saved, too.
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The Love Food Hate Waste campaign will soon be stepping up a gear.
Giant billboards with mouldy installations – including a mouldy lambchop and petri dishes — will be going up in Auckland and Wellington to remind us that food needs to be used up instead of going to landfill.
Waste not, want not as they say.