Retailers are being encouraged to sell fresh fruit and vegetables loose without plastic packaging, as the move could significantly reduce food waste.
New research from WRAP urges the end of unnecessary plastic packaging and Best Before labels on fresh uncut fruit and vegetables in the UK.
The food charity says that selling loose and removing date labels could prevent 14 million shopping baskets worth of food from going to waste simply by allowing people to buy what they need.
It also calls for the removal of more unnecessary and problematic single use plastic items under the UK Plastics Pact, including wrapping on multi-packs of tinned food and sauce sachets in restaurants.
The charity's 18-month project, which examined the link between food waste in the home and the use of plastic packaging, sought to challenge accepted thinking that packaging helps to preserve fresh produce.
The study also examined the influence of date labels and storage temperatures on food going to waste.
WRAP tested five commonly wasted items - apples, bananas, broccoli, cucumber and potatoes - stored in the original packaging and loose and at different temperatures.
It found that selling loose and removing Best Before dates could result in a combined saving of around 100,000 tonnes of household food waste, more than 10,300 tonnes of plastic and 130,000 tonnes of CO2e.
This saving comes from both enabling people to buy the right amount for their needs and to use their judgement to decide when items are still good to eat.
While most supermarkets already sell some items loose, the research presents evidence for significantly increasing the practice across a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP, said the charity's research could be a 'game-changer' in the fight against food waste and plastic pollution.
"While packaging is important and often carries out a critical role to protect food, we have proven that plastic packaging doesn’t necessarily prolong the life of uncut fresh produce.
"It can in fact increase food waste in this case. We have shown the massive potential to save good food from being thrown away by removing date labels.
“We need retailers to step up and follow our recommendations so we can achieve real progress in tackling food waste and plastic pollution."
The research also confirms a point WRAP has frequently promoted - that uncut fresh produce can be good to eat long after the Best Before date and most lasts longer in the fridge.
When stored at 4°C, apples, for example, showed no signs of deterioration until two and a half months after their Best Before date and were still good to eat for some time after that.
These new findings have prompted WRAP to reiterate its call for the removal of Best Before dates from fresh uncut produce wherever possible.
The results of WRAP’s work have been shared with UK’s largest food retailers, along with key recommendations.
