The average family household in the United Kingdom is throwing away a shocking £700 a year in food according to official Government figures.

Major supermarkets have pledged to cut their waste with an estimated 59,400 tonnes being disposed of by Tesco alone.

Environment, food and rural affairs committee members have been quick to criticise the ‘big chains’ by offering bulk-buy deals on perishable goods in bid to get shoppers to spend more.

The Government have now launched an inquiry into the astronomical £16 billion (yes, billion) a year that we as Britons waste on food. This huge food wastage equates to eight million tonnes of manufactured food per year!

It’s clear that we have a food wastage epidemic, as this doesn’t just have an impact on our wallets.

If we were all to stop wasting all this food that can be eaten it would be the equivalent of taking 1 in 4 cars off the road. Further decreasing our carbon footprint.

We actually throw away more food than actual food packaging each year, with fresh vegetables and salads, fresh fruit, milk and bakery items being the most wasted foods in UK households.

Proud of our involvement in #LoveFoodHateWaste campaign in 10 UK cities with our partners https://t.co/jFz2ZW31Iz pic.twitter.com/oNU9u6FQJT

— M&S News (@MandSnews) 5 July 2016

Not using perishable goods in time is of course a major reason for wasting large amounts of food, or simply just buying too much for our requirements.

But the good news is that with the help of the Government and supermarket cooperation, we as a nation managed to decrease our food waste by 21% from 2007 to 2012. This equated to around 1 millions tonnes…or enough to fill Wembley stadium!

Maybe this is due to rising food prices, but it could also be due to more information and savvy shopping tactics by us, the end consumer, who want their money to stretch further.

We recommend freezing perishable items, as freezing fresh items will keep them fresh indefinitely so long as they are kept frozen. This is a great way to keep fresh and seasonal fruit such as berries and even fresh bread. Just be sure to thaw these items out thoroughly before consuming.

For more information on the Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP) action plan or please visit: www.lovefoodhatewaste.com