Potatoes are third place on the list of produce that UK households throws away the most (Image: Getty)
are one of Britain’s most wasted fresh food items, with the average household throwing away 99 each year – equating to a staggering 2.8billion nationally.
A recent review conducted by mega chain Aldi highlights the broader issue of food waste, revealing that over half of us (54 percent) admit to discarding too much fresh produce weekly, at a cost of £468 annually.
Scoring third place in the ranking of most thrown-away produce, can be a tricky one to keep. But according to food waste expert Kate Hall, there are simple ways to keep your spuds fresher for longer.
“ are best stored in the fridge, which can help them last over three times longer,” she explained. “Extensive, peer-reviewed scientific research has since shown that refrigerating potatoes doesn’t increase acrylamide potential compared with keeping them at room temperature.”
But, if fridge space is tight, she recommended a garage or another well-ventilated area as a suitable alternative – just make sure to keep potatoes away from onions. “Onions emit ethylene gas, which can cause potatoes to spoil faster,” she added.
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52 percent are ashamed about how much fruit and veg they bin, tossing out up to £520 a year (Image: Aldi)
Other tips given by Kate include freezing bananas for a longer life span, checking berries for any sign of mould, as one single mouldy berry hiding away in your punnet can be a sign of microscopic damage to those around it, and not pre-prepping fruit or veg to avoid it spoiling much faster.
Kate’s advice is part of Aldi’s wider campaign to combat food waste, as many Brits are still unsure of the best ways to store their produce. In fact, 57 percent of those surveyed admitted they didn’t fully understand how to keep their food fresh.
The list of the 15 most-thrown-away items is led by bananas (114 per household, per year), tomatoes and potatoes (both at 99 per year), carrots (94), apples, mushrooms, oranges, and easy peelers (all at 88), and onions and peppers (83 per year).
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Brits throw away at least nine pieces of fruit and veg a week – a total of 468 a year (Image: Aldi UK)
The research also found that families are struggling the most not to waste food, as 28 percent consider that having a family makes it much harder to limit food waste.
Interestingly, 55% of the 45 to 59-year-olds polled believe that their age group are the most concerned about reducing food waste compared to other generations, and 56% of those surveyed admit that they completely forget about the healthy food they’ve bought at the supermarket.
Finally, both Aldi and Kate advise: “By adopting small changes – like keeping your fridge below 5C and storing produce correctly – households can cut down on waste, save money, and help save the planet.”