“Counting the Cost of Food Waste: EU Food Waste Prevention”, has found that 15m tonnes of food are wasted each year in the UK which equates to a financial loss to business of at least £5bn per year, and was advised of the importance of packaging in preventing food waste by extending the shelf life of food and protecting from damage.
The report said that a high proportion of consumers are unaware of the importance of food packaging to the preservation of food, and said retailers should do more to explain how food should be stored to avoid premature deterioration and unnecessary food waste.
“Technology may present new opportunities for reducing food waste with, for example, smart packaging that accurately reflects the edibility of food rather than arbitrary use-by dates which have to err on the side of caution. The Committee says the EU must ensure its food packaging Directive does not unintentionally lead to more food waste,” said the report.
Dick Searle, chief executive of the Packaging Federation, said: “There were very few negative comments about packaging and this report will certainly provide support for our Fresher For Longer campaign work with the supply chain & consumers plus our work with schools.”
The report also said the Commission was reviewing a suggestion to include a packaging waste prevention target, an idea which is opposed by the government, which prefers to focus on the product and innovation in product design to minimise the need for packaging.
Additionally, it called on supermarkets to move away from incentives such as “buy one get one free” for certain types of produce, which may result in more food waste at home.
