Global food shortages, soaring prices and alarm over the environment. But every day, Britain throws away 220,000 loaves of bread, 1.6m bananas, 550,000 chickens, 5.1m potatoes, 660,000 eggs, 1.2m sausages and 1.3m yoghurts

A new study has exposed the staggering amount of food thrown away every day by the British public, calculating that the annual total of wasted products adds up to a record £10bn.

Each day, according to the government-backed report, Britons throw away 4.4 million apples, 1.6 million bananas, 1.3 million yoghurt pots, 660,000 eggs, 550,000 chickens, 300,000 packs of crisps and 440,000 ready meals. And for the first time government researchers have established that most of the food waste is made up of completely untouched food products – whole chickens and chocolate gateaux that lie uneaten in cupboards and fridges before being discarded.

The roll call of daily waste costs an average home more than £420 a year but for a family with children the annual cost rises to £610.

What a waste: Britain throws away £10bn of food every year – News, Food & Drink – The Independent.

This is a shocking report. I’m old enough to remember post-war food rationing and my mother’s frugal habits, some of which have rubbed off on me. She would have been astonished by this sort of wastefulness. Reports about the recent local elections mention people’s concerns about the cost of living. I wonder how many of those who complain about it, waste food like this? I doubt that it occurs to those who throw a lot of food away that this is highly unethical behaviour.