Nearly 33 million portions or more than 4,200 tonnes of fruit and veg* are needlessly being thrown away every week as Brits lack knowledge and confidence regarding correct storage and what to do with produce past its best, a new survey reveals.

The survey of 1,000 shoppers, commissioned by Eat in Colour, found that 70% of UK households (16.4 million) will throw away fresh fruit and veg once it’s past its best-before date regardless of its condition. The problem appears to run so deep that nearly half of all Britons (48%) believe that eating fruit and veg past its best-before date is as risky as eating out-of-date cooked meat and ready meals, which is not the case.

 “As a nation we clearly find it difficult to know when fruit and veg is no longer edible,” says Anthony Levy, chairman of the Eat in Colour campaign. “But to be fair to people, the rules are different for different types of fruit and veg - our advice is to take a common sense approach, making sure we all store produce correctly to extend its useful life and using simple recipes to make the most of fruit and veg once it’s past its best.”

The worst fruit and veg wasters were found to be the younger generation with 18 to 24-year-olds being four times less likely to eat fruit and veg past its best-before date than the over 55s (65% v 15%).

But with trend analysts predicting a return to wartime frugality and home cooking as recession bites, it would appear the majority of Brits need to learn the lessons of previous generations when it comes to wasting less and saving money at home.

Anthony Levy adds: “There seems to be a big generational knowledge gap. Once upon a time people used to be able to use their own senses to gauge the freshness of fruit and veg, make sure it was kept at its best and be adept enough in the kitchen to ensure that very little was wasted. Somehow this now seems to have been lost and it means that some us are throwing away 10 or more portions a week.

“If fruit and veg is stored correctly it can significantly extend its useful life, but there are also lots of simple ways you can make the most of fruit and veg when it’s past its best such as putting it in a stew, soup or smoothie.

“Fruit and vegetables are the easy, quick, inexpensive and tasty way to a healthier diet, so it’s a shame to waste them. If we can help people to keep fruit and veg longer and use more of it, then less will end up being thrown away. Eat in Colour is helping to keep fruit and veg out of the bin so people aren’t left out of pocket.”

In addition, the research found that the vast volume of fruit and veg home wastage is occurring despite the fact the majority of people (90%) are going shopping at least once a week. Eat in Colour believes this could be part of the problem as people may simply be buying the same fruit and veg every week and habitually throwing out last week’s items regardless of their condition.

After price (74%), shelf life (67%) is the second biggest factor affecting purchasing decisions, surprisingly more important than choosing organic (23%) or fair trade (36%) options.

Also, disappointingly it seems that the healthy eating message is still not getting through with 78% of those surveyed admitting to eating less than the recommended five portions per day.