10 things you may not know about food waste!

According to the latest data from WRAP, around 70% of the food we throw away could have been avoided!

Hisense is one of the biggest manufacturers of electronics in the world, and last year expanded its home appliances portfolio to include a full range of cooking products, on top of its already well-established refrigeration range.

As part of the drive to educate and reduce food waste, Hisense has championed innovation and technology that helps food stay at its optimum for longer. The Hisense refrigeration range features Triple Zone Cooling – a flexible storage option which adapts to your needs allowing you to expand your freezer or fridge space as required, as well as maintaining consistent temperature with Invertor Compressor Technology. This distributes the air flow evenly which guarantees Total No Frost in your appliance – taking frost free one step further to ensure your food is fresh.

We spoke to Helen White, a Special Advisor on Household Food Waste, at WRAP who provided us with some shocking stats that will make you think twice before throwing out your slightly browned bananas!

Helen said:

"Our food is at its best when it’s on our plates: ready to be enjoyed, not in the bin! Saving food means saving money – and it also means saving the planet by tackling climate change. If global food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the US."

"By making the most of every mouthful, you’re doing your bit. Simple!"

10 things that everyone should know about food waste!

• - Every year UK householders waste 6.6 million tonnes of food. 4.5 million tonnes of that could have been eaten and is enough to fill 38 million wheelie bins or the Royal Albert Hall 90 times!
• - Binning food costs the average UK family with children £60 a month – that’s more than £700 a year!
• - The most wasted food in the UK is the humble potato. We bin the equivalent of 4.4 million whole potatoes every day. The biggest reason for potato waste is "personal preference" – not liking or using the whole thing. So, keep the skins on or cook up some home-made crisps.
• - Fridges should be at 5°C to keep food fresher for longer. The average UK fridge is set at a way-too-hot 7°C, which is bad news for milk and other foods that need to keep cool. Don’t know how to change it? Check out: chillthefridgeout.com.
• - A "best before" date is about quality – food is at its best before this date and should still be OK to eat after: use your senses to check. A "use by" date is about safety – eating food after this date could make you ill, so don’t eat food after the Use By date even if it looks and smells OK.
• - The biggest reason for food waste in the UK is "not used in time". If food is getting close to the Use By date, you can buy yourself a bit more time by freezing it – and you can freeze food right up to the Use By date. Once defrosted, ‘pause’ is off and you’ll need to use it up pronto.
• - Yes, a bowl of fruit looks nice, but you’ll get days more from your apples, which will stay crisp and delicious, if you keep them in the fridge instead. Same goes for citrus and, well, most fresh produce. Don’t store bananas, onions, whole pineapple or potatoes in the fridge though.
• - There may be some foods you can freeze that surprise you! Eggs, cheese, yoghurt… For ‘how to’ information, check out the Love Food Hate Waste A – Z of food storage tool. Top tip: always label what you freeze to avoid Unidentified Frozen Objects!
• We waste 20% of the food we buy. A bit of planning before you hit the shops helps you to buy only what you need. Try taking a "shelfie" – snap a picture of your fridge or cupboard shelves, so you don’t double-up on what you’ve already got.
• There is such a thing as a free lunch! A quarter of food waste results from preparing, cooking or serving too much. Don’t be a dinner-binner, turn today’s leftovers into tomorrow’s meal – and save time too!

Facts provided by Helen White, Special Advisor on Household Food Waste, WRAP.

To learn more on how you can join the fight against food waste, you can visit the "Love Food Hate Waste" website page.

To check out Hisense Refrigeration range, click here.