British family could boost their diets with more than 60 tonnes of additional vitamins, minerals and other nutrients annually by reducing food waste, Nutrient rich potatoes, bread and milk amongst the lost foods. Sainsbury’s research shows that protein is the most wasted nutrient
British homes waste more than 4.2 million tonnes of good food every year – meaning masses of vital nutrients are being binned rather than helping to improve the health of the nation.
Annual food waste reports regularly reveal the quantity of food discarded each year, and the financial impact – most recently reported as £700 a year per family.2 However, new research today from Sainsbury’s uncovers a further hidden cost of this food waste - the 60 tonnes of vital vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are binned annually.
The Sainsbury’s research – released to support the launch of its new waste campaign ‘…to the rescue’ - shows potatoes, bread and milk are among the UK’s most thrown away foods with WRAP data indicating that 1.65million tonnes are binned every year of these three foods alone:
Annually, 733,000 tonnes of potatoes are chucked, equating to enough potassium to feed 140,000 people their daily recommendations (Nutrient Reference Value) for an entire week; the equivalent of the entire population of Blackpool.
Protein is the most wasted nutrient with 55 tonnes thrown in the bin every year.
Fibre commonly found in fruit and vegetables, is among the top binned food component with carrots being one of the most thrown away fibre providers, with every 80g portion of discarded carrots equates to 2.6g of fibre.
Some 353million litres of milk also goes down the drain annually, losing essential calcium, crucial for bones and teeth.
Sainsbury’s wants to help customers to make small changes to their routine to make a big difference to their food waste footprint. As part of the ‘…to the rescue’ campaign, recipes and handy tips, such as storing potatoes in the cupboard rather than the fridge, have been created to help people reduce their food waste.
Annie Denny, Sainsbury’s nutritionist, comments:
“We’re all guilty of throwing away lots of key nutrients that help keep our bones, immune system and nervous system healthy – all vital to helping us stay well. By making the most of our food, we can all go a long way to ensuring we’re not just saving money but also letting those key nutrients to do their jobs.”
Paul Crewe, Head of Sustainability at Sainsbury’s, comments:
“Throwing away food is often associated with wasting money, but our research published today as part of our ‘…to the rescue’ campaign shows there is also a wider nutritional issue. Our simple tips for saving the most frequently thrown away foods, along with our recipes for leftovers have been created to help reduce food waste and benefit the health of UK families. None of Sainsbury’s food waste goes to landfill and any surplus food fit for human consumption is donated to charities.”
Three handy tips to help reduce food waste
- Keep leftover salad in a bowl and add a sheet of kitchen roll before topping with cling film
- Shake and freeze bread to stop the slices sticking together
To find out more about the To The Rescue’campaign visit www.homemadebyyou.co.uk and if you’re in need of some food-spiration,
visit Sainsbury’s food rescue app www.sainsburysfoodrescue.co.uk for more details.
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