Reducing food waste

40% of the food we throw out is still good to eat.

These 3 simple tips can help the average Peel household cut food waste and save up to $112 per month:

1. Plan smart

   • Before shopping, check what's already in your cupboards, fridge and freezer.
   • Consider which meals you'll make at home and which you'll eat at restaurants.
   • Plan to serve leftovers.
   • Make a shopping list or check online for a food planning app.
   • Use recipes to plan your meals and decide:
     • The portion size.
     • The exact amount of food that you'll need.

2. Buy smart

   • Don't shop hungry.
   • Avoid buying items on impulse or on a whim.
   • Check best before dates and other date labelling.
   • Only buy "family size" packages or "buy one, get one free" items if you're sure you'll eat all the food.
   • Shop more often for perishables, such as bananas.
   • Buy smaller amounts of fresh foods that expire quickly; for example, buy 2 or 3 cobs of corn instead of a full sealed package.
   • Buy loose rather than packaged food; for example, buy one avocado instead of a full bag.

3. Store smart

   • Eat older food items first. (Tip: put an "eat first" sign on these items so you'll know you've had them longer.)
   • Set your fridge to 4°C (or lower); set your freezer to -18°C (or lower).
   • For refrigerated items, put ready-to-eat foods on the top shelf, left-over food to be reheated on the middle shelf and raw food on the bottom shelf.
   • Store these items separately:
     • Ripe/unripe food
     • Onions/potatoes
     • Fruits/vegetables
   • Put some items in the freezer:
     • Divide large packages into smaller portions and freeze.
     • Freeze extras such as bread, meat and leftovers. Divide leftovers into smaller portions.
     • Freeze food up to 24 hours before its best before date.
     • Write the date on the container for a food item before putting it into the freezer.

Shelf life and expiration

If you're not sure if you should eat or throw out a food:

• Check recommended refrigeration and freezing times.
• Check the date label.

Sell-by date

The sell-by date is the last date a store is supposed to display the product for sale. If you buy a product past this date, be sure to eat it soon after purchase.

Best before date

The best before date tells you more about quality than safety. It indicates when an unopened product might start to lose its flavour, texture and nutritional value, not that it's unsafe to eat.

Expiration date

Don't eat any food past its expiration date. Check to see if the food is mouldy or has an odd odour, texture or colour.

Hard cheese (such as cheddar) is an exception: just cut an inch around the mould and eat the rest.

If a soft cheese (i.e., cottage cheese or cream cheese) has mould on it, throw it away. Toxins produced by the mould can spread throughout the cheese.