Ready meal group welcomes waste clarification
Kaarin Goodburn, secretary general of CFA, claims the move by WRAP to change their terminology will ultimately lead to more accurate information and improvements in minimising food waste.
CFA had criticised the UK government funded WRAP for linking ready meal manufacturers and take-away restaurants when it comes to food waste as the association claimed it was misleading and damaged the perception of ready meals and the companies involved.
In its The Food We Waste report, published by WRAP last summer, domestic food waste was divided into different categories and it was claimed that 440,000 ready-made meals were thrown away by consumers.
CFA disputed these figures and pressed for WRAP to change its definition arguing that most of the wastage identified relates to take-aways and not store-bought meals.
According to Goodburn, the numbers simply did not add up: "Estimated waste levels were extremely high compared to the market data.”
Revised estimate
WRAP, she continued, has since indicated a more realistic estimate of waste from these categories: Of the total 215,000 tonnes, around 81,000 tonnes represents waste from store-bought ready-meals and 88,000 tonnes from take-aways, with the remainder considered impossible to determine.
CFA said it is actively involved in a range of waste minimisation initiatives including a shelf life research programme to better understand and explore the extension of the shelf life of chilled foods by using tailored reduced energy heat processes that enhance quality without compromising safety.
The association said it is also funding research projects including one at Sheffield Hallam University that is comparing energy usage and waste arising from domestic and industrial production of lasagne, and another at Cranfield/IGD that is looking at the impact of trade relationships on waste.
Packaging initiatives against waste
Last week, WRAP announced that the UK’s top grocery retailers, brands and manufacturers have committed to an industry-wide food waste reduction objective to help reduce household food waste by 155,000 tonnes by 2010 through packaging initiatives.
“The target of 155,000 tonnes represents approximately 2.5 per cent of all household food waste in the UK each year. It is a realistic but stretching target to work towards,” said a spokesperson for WRAP.
WRAP said the objective will be met under its Love Food Hate Waste consumer campaign and will examine how areas such as labelling, pack size range, storage advice and packaging designed to keep the food fresher for longer can all help to prevent household food waste.
Consumer involvement
However, food waste reduction relies heavily on consumer behaviour change, which is considered a more difficult issue compared to making changes to the supply chain.
The WRAP spokesperson told this publication that in order to address the issue of getting individuals on board, it has been working from all directions, from retailers and manufacturers, local authorities through to consumers, to make a meaningful impact on food waste reductions.
