One-third of food is dumped
This is the shocking truth revealed by studies carried out by the EU and the UN, who believe that, with a little more care and education, much of this food could be put to better use.
Every year, 179kg of food is thrown away for every person in Europe, and this amount will increase by about 40% unless action is taken to reverse the waste.
In Britain, a quarter of food in shops and as much again from restaurants is dumped, while farmers and consumers also waste food.
One-third of all bread goes into the bin when it is considered too stale to be eaten, along with a quarter of fruit because it is thought to be too ripe, as well as a fifth of vegetables.
Getting people to change their attitudes to food will not be easy, EC health and consumer policy commissioner John Dalli admits, but it will start with a major awareness-raising campaign that includes declaring today Food Safety Day.
He believes that if consumers know more about food safety and how to judge it, they will be less likely to dump it uneaten.
Knowing how to read date labels on food, keeping it properly refrigerated and in proper packaging should all help, as would dropping prejudices against mis-shapen fruit and veg.
Restaurants not serving up the same-sized portion for their customers irrespective of whether they want that amount would also help.
A return to some traditional cooking practices of using up stale but still safe and edible food would make a big difference, as would providing food banks where shops and others could give food to help the less well-off.
Two-for-one offers on food and ready-to-eat meals encourage people to buy more than they need, as do pre-packed foods.
