WARRINGTON Borough Council is supporting the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Christmas campaign which focuses on making the most of the extra food we buy over the festive period to avoid waste.
Every Year in the UK, seven million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away – most of which could have been consumed.
Wasting this food costs the average household £470 a year.
Cllr Judith Guthrie, the council’s lead member for the environment, said. “At this time of year the volume of food we buy and prepare peaks, when many people are catering for large groups of family or friends.
“Quite often we can misjudge the amount of food we need and can end up with lots of leftovers, which then get thrown away, when they are still completely edible.
“We want to encourage people to think about ways to make the most of their food , so they can reduce waste and make savings.”
The FSA is highlighting the cost and time-saving benefits of wasting less food.
They are also keen to educate people on how to use their freezer properly and effectively, and how to defrost food properly too, as reducing waste and increasing safe freezing go hand in hand.
Kevin Maher, head of Relationship Management Team at the FSA said: “Christmas can be a busy and stressful time. Cooking for more people than normal can mean having to handle different defrosting and cooking times for food, making sure that large amounts of food are stored safely, and ensuring any leftovers are safe to eat, while reducing any unnecessary waste.
“The FSA can provide a helping hand with the stress surrounding Christmas cooking. We have lots of tips and advice to help you to plan your cooking and work out what and when to cook, freeze and defrost, in order to have a less stressful and wasteful Christmas.”
The FSA have recruited the help of their friendly ‘Freezer Fairy’ to provide top tips on making the most of Christmas food.
For more information on how you can make savings and waste less food this Christmas visit the Food Standards Agency at https://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/campaigns/freezer-fairy or Love Food Hate Waste http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Pictured: Kevin Maher from the Food Standards Agency, Cllr Judith Guthrie, Phil Rowles butcher and Julie Bate from Warrington Borough Council’s public health licensing team
“Waste not, want not” this Christmas
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