Wrap is urging shoppers to store food in its original packaging after new research indicated they are unaware this can extend shelf life by an extra two weeks and save them hundreds of pounds a year in food waste.

Of 4,000 consumers surveyed in the Wrap-commissioned report, 61% feared that fruit and vegetables would sweat and deteriorate quicker if left in its original packaging.

Yet keeping food in its original wrapping and storing it according to the label when home could keep it fresher for up to a fortnight longer and help save the average family up to £270 per year, the ‘Consumer Attitudes to Food Waste and Food Packaging’ report, published on Tuesday, said.

Alice Ellison, environment policy advisor British Retail Consortium, said she hoped the research would end the demonisation of packaging. “We have long said that appropriate use of packaging preserves food and reduces waste. This report should stimulate further reductions in food waste by promoting the role that packaging plays in keeping food fresher for longer in the home,” she said.

The research was released as Wrap’s consumer brand Love Food Hate Waste launched its ‘Fresher for Longer’ campaign, which is being backed by M&S, The Food and Drink Federation, the Packaging Federation and the BRC, among others. The initiative is designed to educate people around how they can cut their waste and reduce the 4.4 million tonnes of food and drink binned each year.

M&S, which last year added an ‘It’s Fresh’ strip on strawberry punnets to prevent them turning mouldy, has launched a new online interactive tool on its Plan A website to help customers learn about the best way to store their food.

“By reducing the amount of packaging we use and ensuring it’s easily recyclable, we’ve worked hard to make it as easy as possible for our customers to live more sustainably,” Adam Elman, M&S head of Plan A delivery, said.

“Packaging plays an important role in protecting the quality and freshness of our food, which is why we feature on-pack storage advice and continue to introduce innovative packaging that keeps food fresher for longer.”

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