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Food waste

Anhedonia2

Has anyone else found that food isn't lasting as long? I feel horrible about it but more and more I'm having to throw out food because it'll be off so quickly. I used to get fruit and veg and it'd last the week in the fridge (assuming I stored it well), now I'm lucky if I get home and it's not rotten en route!

I can't find it now but I saw something about the ridiculous amount of waste food each year and I hate that I'm contributing but foods just don't seem as fresh

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Comments

Mary_Scope

I find that fresh berries are the worst for this @Anhedonia2. I bought a pack a few weeks ago and the next day, they were furry!! I've also noticed that broccoli seems to be a bit rotten in the shops already recently!

Was it this article?

ChrisR777

I only buy canned or dried soft fruit, as it must take days for the stuff to get air freighted from Europe and beyond.

I can buy strawberries directly from a farm shop, less than a mile from my door, but I'm not a fan of strawberries, sadly. There are no more berries until next spring anyway.

ChrisR777

I know it doesn't taste the same, but my broccoli and cauliflower is always frozen, for that very reason.

Kimi87

Thankfully I have an excellent local greengrocer where I buy most but not all of my fruit & veg. A little more expensive than the supermarkets, but the value for money is high because the quality is so good & most is sold loose, so you can buy what you need minimising waste.

JessieJ

I normally buy about 3 days of food at a time, to keep the waste down, plus some frozen bits. We now have a food waste bin & apart from I hate the bags, any moisture at all & you need another, I only need to empty weekly, Any fruit & veg I buy, which is a larger amount, stays in the fridge & must say, they do last. A punnet of blueberries stay good for a week at least, clems a lot longer, Cos/romaine (why they name change?) lettuce a week or so. Cucumbers don't last well, whether organic or not, even the little ones.

Amberpearl

Bread Doeabt keep lomg

ChrisR777

You're joking? The same shop bought stuff stays usable for over a week! I am eating less bread these days, so only take 2 slices at a time out of the freezer.

Kimi87

I freeze all bread, if you can't fit in a loaf whole then it can be broken down with freezer bags.

After struggling to find 1/2 cucumbers and not getting through a big one quickly enough, I now buy the mini snack cucumbers.

I buy pre washed salad leaves and once open, I pop in some kitchen roll (changing if necessary) to absorb moisture closing with a bag clip.

Cheese I sometimes don't get through but am improving.

I don't freeze eating cheese as it'll crumble defrosted, blocks of bog standard cheddar smaller than 400g take some hunting down 🙄 Three of the supermarkets I use regularly don't sell!

I use ready grated for baking (freezer).

StarryEyed

Has anyone noticed that fruits and veggies rot differently than they used to? I've definitely noticed it in the last about four years, getting worse each year.

Dynamisante

Not naming or shaming any named supermarket but I can’t buy any fresh fruit or veg from this particular store, most has gone bad within 2 days, and that’s always been the case for 10 years +, I used to be able to buy fresh fruit and veg and it would last the whole week! with a big supermarket shop, not only are they charging top prices now but it seems to be buy and eat the same day

OverlyAnxious

The last few loaves of branded bread I've had have all gone mouldy within 3 days. I'm reliant on a delivery once a week so have to keep a full bread in the freezer in addition to the fresh one, and I need to get 4 days out of a loaf in order to make up a whole week. I have about half branded and half own brand and so far the own brand seems to prevent mould better, despite being half the price!

I only have frozen veg as I'd never get through enough fresh. But I find that the quality of that varies a lot. Sometimes have to bin half a bag of broccoli after taking all the edible stuff out.

Anhedonia2

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154558#Comment_1154558

It wasn't but it was similar! Berries are awful and have been for months as are cucumbers and peppers.

Anhedonia2

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154561#Comment_1154561

Pretty much all my veg is frozen or in cans but I've never used tinned fruit, I have horrible memories of it being in thick syrup when I was a child and it's put me off. I might have to look.

I use frozen berries for smoothies and cooking though!

My main gripe is salad items and even things like bread seem to go off so quickly now

Anhedonia2

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154562#Comment_1154562

I'd love a local greengrocer or even farm shop but there's not much like that close to me! You'd think we'd have more options in London but it's actually pretty dire, at least in my area!

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154588#Comment_1154588

Where do you buy your fruit and veg from? I can't find any that last any more. I agree about cucumbers, they've been bad for some time but they used to last really well

Anhedonia2

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154626#Comment_1154626

Yes! I thought this was just me but it really does!

I saw recently an article about them modifying bananas so they don't go brown as fast and it makes me want to scream, leave our food alone! Genetically modifying everything 😥

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154595#Comment_1154595

Really? I can never find any with good dates and it's usually off and spouting mould way before the best befores too! I've taken to freezing it which is okay for toast but not my favourite

@Kimi87, I tried freezing cheese once and it did exactly that, crumbled!! I was not impressed lol

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154662#Comment_1154662

Yep that's what I'm finding too but it doesn't seem to be only one supermarket, its all of them around me now

Anhedonia2

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154717#Comment_1154717

Yep exactly the same here. Are you in or near London too? I wonder if it varies by area some how

OverlyAnxious

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154725#Comment_1154725

I'm not really near London. Though I assumed branded bread would be the same across the country anyway. Ironically, there are a lot of wheat fields near me!

I know there is a way of checking where frozen veg comes from, using a code on the packet, though I haven't checked recently. I'll try to remember the current packet I have this week.

Rachel_Scope

Yes definitely. Aldi parsnips are absolutely awful. You have to use them on the day otherwise they get sweaty and mouldy.

I've also started freezing bread @Kimi87. It's saved a lot of money and waste. I would love the space for a chest freezer. My parents even freeze milk!

ChrisR777

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154721#Comment_1154721

Real bread should go stale ( not mouldy) at the end of the day it was baked. I wish we had that sort of culture here, but as we're talking about 'rip-off Britain' the beggars market such produce as 'artisan', and charge a small fortune.

I have a bakery not 2 minutes away by powerchair, but this isn't France, and I couldn't pay their prices every day.

JessieJ

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1154723#Comment_1154723

Mainly Aldi & Lidl, yep! If I go into town, there's a great fruit & veg stall I use, they stock stuff I've never heard of or seen before, like London, it is a very diverse city, which I like. I do keep all fruit & veg in the fridge, except tomatoes & avocados.

I buy very low carb bread, or rolls, as I prefer them, but they have to be frozen straight away as they have a very short shelf life & they are pretty expensive compared to regular, so I don't wanna be chucking them away..