Families dumping food worth £680 every year

Survey: Buying too much and supermarket offers blamed

The average family with children throws away£680 worth of f ood every year, according to new research.

The sum— which equals £ 13 a week — makes a total of £12billion across the UK.

A survey carried out by Birds Eye, with research by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap), found that the average household spends £68 a week on food but that 91% of households with children admit to throwing some of that food away.

Researchers said that the value of wasted food was heavily underestimated by families.

In a poll of 2,116 adults, average families estimated wasting more than £270 a year (£5.20 a week) on discarded food.

The survey found that the figure worked out at £680.

Vegetables topped the list of the most commonly wasted food group, followed by bread and fruit.

Four in 10 people said they felt guilty for wasting food.

The main reason cited for waste was buying too much ( 37%), with 22% doing s o because of s upermarket off e r s ,

“The value was heavily underestimated”

including ‘buy one, get one free’ deals or similar.

Lack of meal planning prior to shopping was another issue, with one in three people admitting to not planning.

Families with children at home proved more savvy, with 37% saying they planned more than before the recession.

A report by the Fabian Society and Birds Eye, looking at consumer attitudes to food waste, is being discussed in the Westminster parliament.

HARD TO STOMACH: Vegetables topped the list of the most commonly-wasted food group, followed by bread and fruit