15 March 2024 , 10:34
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A food waste expert says many TikTok 'hacks' are a waste of time and should be avoided.
Ben Thomas, who is an environment manager at Waitrose, claims not all viral videos are as effective as they might first appear. While putting kitchen paper in bags of salad to absorb condensation has merit, the most important factor is ventilation. And putting the leaves into a well-ventilated storage container is ideal to make sure there is sufficient air flow to prolong its life.
Ben also encourages shoppers to buy loose produce where possible as this can help ensure you use up what you need and avoid wasting surplus. But while some content creators swear by washing soft fruits in water with bicarbonate of soda, Ben explained this 'hack' could actually shorten the window available to eat the berries.
He explained: "By washing soft fruit and then putting it in the fridge, the moisture can speed up the decomposition process and it'll quickly end up as mush. If you want to wash your food, do it before eating rather than before storing." Ben, who leads Waitrose's own initiatives to reduce food waste, added that some of the best social 'hacks' to prevent waste are getting creative with leftovers.
The ever-growing trend of air fryers has seen hacks such as leftover mash croquettes and bubble and squeak using roast leftovers as an inventive way to ensure there is less waste. He added: "There are lots of handy ways we can all make small changes to reduce the amount of food we waste. Really, if you're using leftovers for anything, you can't go wrong."
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"However, it's important that supermarkets also support shoppers taking these steps whether that's from the sale of misshapen fruit and veg or removing unnecessary packaging." The advice comes after a poll of 2,000 adults found 52 per cent have been inspired to try a hack after watching one on social media.
However, for 21 per cent of these, they didn't quite live up to expectations with 79 per cent admitting viral hack videos are not always as effective as they first appear. Cooking, DIY, and kitchen cleaning online tips are the most attempted, followed by ways to tidy the bathroom and save money. When it comes to food waste videos, 36 per cent have seen content about using leftovers for soups and stocks, while 35 per cent have come across videos about turning stale bread into breadcrumbs.
And 26 per cent have seen reels about freezing fresh herbs into portions to pop into meals when they are needed. In fact, some respondents even claimed they have used banana peels to polish shoes or leftover fruit to make face masks. Despite this, milk, bread, bananas, and salad leaves are the most discarded foods with 35 per cent blaming their food waste habits on forgetting they had certain items.
Whereas 29 per cent overestimate portion sizes and 21 per cent overlook labels when shopping, the survey conducted via OnePoll found. Ben, from Waitrose, which removed best-before dates from hundreds of fresh produce items, added: "Best-before', 'display-by' and 'sell-by' dates can be ignored 'use-by' dates are the only labels which you need to focus on."
"But pre-shop planning is a great way to help you choose what you'll use when doing your weekly shop. It's always handy bringing a list with you or even taking a photo of the inside of your fridge before heading out. The research shows just how much the nation is now turning to social media when it comes to tips and tricks around the home and the same goes for reducing food waste too.
"Brits really recognise why it is so important that good food doesn't go to waste, but we know it can be easier said than done. That's why we are committed to halving food waste in our operations and supply chains by 2030, and at the same time, helping our customers do so at home by the same date."
Separate research from WRAP, the non-profit hosting next week's Love Food Hate Waste's Food Waste Action Week campaign, found 60 per cent of the food that is wasted in the UK is by citizens in their own homes. As a result, Food Waste Action Week will be encouraging everyone to 'Choose What You'll Use', highlighting the benefits of buying loose fruit and vegetables and inspiring people to do this wherever they can.