A PROJECT examining the link between food waste in the home and the use of plastic packaging, has challenged accepted thinking that packaging helps to preserve fresh produce.

The WRAP research actually concludes the opposite – that selling loose has huge potential to reduce food waste. The research also examined the influence of date labels and storage temperatures on food going to waste.

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WRAP is now calling on the UK’s major retailers to rethink how they sell uncut fresh produce with three key recommendations:

• Sell loose – where possible, unless it is shown that plastic packaging reduces overall food waste.

• Remove date labels - unless it can be shown that a Best Before reduces overall food waste.

• Refrigerate below 5°C at home – help customers understand the benefits of storing appropriate fresh produce in the fridge, set at the right temperature.

WRAP CEO Marcus Gover said: “This important research could be a game-changer in the fight against food waste and plastic pollution. We have demystified the relationship between wasted food, plastic packaging, date labels and food storage. While packaging is important and often carries out a critical role to protect food, we have proven that plastic packaging doesn’t necessarily prolong the life of uncut fresh produce. It can in fact increase food waste in this case. We have shown the massive potential to save good food from being thrown away by removing date labels.

“We are all living with the reality of the climate emergency and the rising cost of living. This new clarity could not be more timely. We need retailers to step up and follow our recommendations so we can achieve real progress in tackling food waste and plastic pollution. This helps save the planet and us money at the same time – a real win-win.”

WRAP tested five commonly wasted items – apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber and potatoes – stored in the original packaging and loose and at different temperatures. The charity found that selling the five loose and removing Best Before dates could result in a combined saving of around 100,000 tonnes of household food waste, more than 10,300 tonnes of plastic and 130,000 tonnes of CO2e. This saving comes from both enabling people to buy the right amount for their needs, and to use their judgement to decide when items are still good to eat.

While most supermarkets already sell some items loose, the new research presents compelling evidence for significantly increasing the practice across a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables.