$76m weekly waste is food for thought

AUSTRALIAN families are wasting $76.4 million worth of uneaten food every week, a report has revealed.

The Mitsubishi Electric Home Trends report, by Lonergan Research, found while more Australians were embracing fresh food and cutting takeaway, this had led to more food being wasted.

The survey of 1054 adults from all over Australia found the average family spent $163.07 a week on groceries, but was wasting $20.59 of that; a worrying 13 per cent of the food budget going uneaten. Nationally, families were wasting $76.4 million worth of food a week out of a $604.8 million spend.

Chris Lonergan, CEO of Lonergan Research, said that breaking it down by generation, younger Aussies were the worst.

“Millennials are the biggest wasters of food, despite also being the most passionate about food wastage,” Mr Lonergan said.

In households where Millennials were the main grocery buyers, 16 per cent of the average weekly spend went to waste, which equalled $23.73 worth of food. Households where Baby Boomers were the main grocery buyers spent an average $118.83 each week and wasted just 7 per cent, or $7.88 in food.

Australians were often simply unable to store as much food as needed, Mr Lonergan said.

“Australians are cooking at home more and preparing more fresh food for bulk storage, but 47 per cent reported not having enough room in their freezers,” he said.

Aussie celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi offered the following tips to reduce food waste:

1. QUICKIES

Chop leftover veggies into matchstick shapes and place in a glass jar. Mix boiling vinegar with a little salt and sugar (maybe some spices) then refrigerate for two days. It’s a great condiment for any meat.

2. HOMEMADE HOT SAUCE Leftover tomatoes, capsicums, onions and garlic tossed with a little olive oil and salt, and then slow roasted for 90 minutes. Season generously. Add a pinch or brown sugar and as much chilli as you like and puree.

3. MAKE SPAG BOL GO FURTHER

After cooking bolognese sauce, chill as rapidly as possible so it lasts as long as possible.

4. FOOD STORAGE Understand how your fridge is designed, because each department has a unique usage property. To last as long as possible, some foods need good aeration and should be placed on open shelves while others like herbs, cheeses and soft fruits need to be contained in the crisper compartments or closing drawers.