They’re the reason we go to the supermarket - the bold red letters drawing us in to make purchases that nine times out of ten we don’t actually need - yes that’s right - it’s the buy one get one free (known to many of you as the bogof’s) offers! Well guess what shoppers - the government wants them scrapped to try and tackle the UK’s embarrassing food waste problem.
But fear not all you penny scrimpers and savers out there - the government have come up with an alternative proposition to all the supermarket execs - half price products as well as varying package sizes to accommodate the lonely singletons and the bustling families.
The plans come from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair, which is asking shops to either knuckle down with a hardcore food waste reduction target face legislation that forces them to make savings.
The reason for such harsh action is the results of a report on food security and sustainability, which revealed that the bogofs play a significant role in being responsible of a third of all food waste.
Wrap, the Government waste watchdog, report that every year we collectively chuck away 4.1 million tonnes of unwanted food, which could have otherwise been eaten if better managed. So what does this translate to for the individual? Well approximately £420 per year and probably the equivalent pounds in your body weight. The biggest wasters are those in single person households, which make up a third of all homes, as they are tempted by bogofs, but then don’t consume them by the use-by date.
So, as part of the new plans, supermarkets will be encouraged to cut back on bogofs on perishable food. In addition, shoppers should be given advice on making better use of the products by either freezing them or using available recipes for overripe fruit and vegetables.
To help with the problem of food waste, Defra and the Food Standards Agency are working together to clarify the food labelling system after research revealed many people were confused by the sell-by and use-by dates as well as being unaware that food can be eaten after its best-before date.
A new label, the Healthier Food Mark, will be go live this year for food that meets minimum standards for nutrition and sustainability. Hospitals and prisons will buy food with the mark and it will be used nationwide from 2012.
The British Retail Consortium said it would continue to offer bogofs, “Retailers know their customers better and should be allowed to decide what’s the best policy,” a spokesman said. People who took home more than they could eat should give it to family and friends, he added.
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They’re the reason we go to the supermarket - the bold red letters drawing us in to make purchases that nine times out of ten we don’t actually need - yes that’s right - it’s the buy one get one free (known to many of you as the bogof’s) offers! Well guess what shoppers - the government wants them scrapped to try and tackle the UK’s embarrassing food waste problem.
But fear not all you penny scrimpers and savers out there - the government have come up with an alternative proposition to all the supermarket execs - half price products as well as varying package sizes to accommodate the lonely singletons and the bustling families.
The plans come from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affair, which is asking shops to either knuckle down with a hardcore food waste reduction target face legislation that forces them to make savings.
The reason for such harsh action is the results of a report on food security and sustainability, which revealed that the bogofs play a significant role in being responsible of a third of all food waste.
Wrap, the Government waste watchdog, report that every year we collectively chuck away 4.1 million tonnes of unwanted food, which could have otherwise been eaten if better managed. So what does this translate to for the individual? Well approximately £420 per year and probably the equivalent pounds in your body weight. The biggest wasters are those in single person households, which make up a third of all homes, as they are tempted by bogofs, but then don’t consume them by the use-by date.
So, as part of the new plans, supermarkets will be encouraged to cut back on bogofs on perishable food. In addition, shoppers should be given advice on making better use of the products by either freezing them or using available recipes for overripe fruit and vegetables.
To help with the problem of food waste, Defra and the Food Standards Agency are working together to clarify the food labelling system after research revealed many people were confused by the sell-by and use-by dates as well as being unaware that food can be eaten after its best-before date.
A new label, the Healthier Food Mark, will be go live this year for food that meets minimum standards for nutrition and sustainability. Hospitals and prisons will buy food with the mark and it will be used nationwide from 2012.
The British Retail Consortium said it would continue to offer bogofs, “Retailers know their customers better and should be allowed to decide what’s the best policy,” a spokesman said. People who took home more than they could eat should give it to family and friends, he added.
Share and Enjoy: