Bread, the Most Wasted Food in the UK

A study conducted by Opinum Research showed that once precious items are now regularly discarded by wasteful households and on top of the list is bread.

For those in their sixties and seventies, the diets of their early years was constrained by rationing which only ended in 1955.

Opinum Research asked 2,000 UK adults which of their groceries they most regularly threw away and the top answers were bread (25%), pre-packed salad (22%), fresh fruit (20%) and leftovers from other meals (20%). One in ten (9%) said they regularly throw away milk.

In total, just under two in five (37%) said they regularly throw away food that was rationed in the 1940s and 1950s such as bread, meat, eggs and cheese.

When the researcher asked those that regularly throw away their groceries uneaten or unfinished, 42% said this was simply because they forget to use everything in time, while one in four (26%) admitted that they do not properly plan when and what they eat.

However, 32% say that this is down to the size and portions sold in the shops that are too big for shoppers to eat in time, rising to 42% of single person households.

One in four (26%) think that supermarkets have the greatest responsibility for ensuring the amount of food wasted in the UK is reduced.

In response to actually tackling the problem, many have already implemented changes on the home front with 42% reducing the amount of food they buy solely because it’s discounted and 58% already planning what and when they eat. However, 53% say they would also consider boycotting a supermarket which has poor records of wasting food.

Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,001 UK adults aged 18+ from 16th to 19th January 2015. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.