Condolences

I would like to offer my heartfelt sympathies to Sarah Parish and James Murray on the loss of their baby daughter. My heart goes out to you in your time of sorrow.

Yours, Lyndsey

UK households save £300 million worth of food waste

According to WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), new figures revealed this week show that since the launch of their Love Food Hate Waste campaign back in 2007, almost two million more households in the UK have saved money by cutting back on throwing food away.

This increase in public awareness resulted in an overall saving of £296 million a year, saving 137,000 tonnes of food from being thrown away and a reduction of 600,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases emissions, which is, according to WRAP , "the same carbon impact as taking 100,000 return flights to Australia out of the skies."

WRAP's research identified some of the main reasons why households feel they are cutting back on waste, these include:

Becoming better at planning meals so that food isn't wasted (37%)
Becoming better at using up food that is already in the fridge or cupboard before buying new food (31%)
Becoming better at measuring the correct portion sizes so that we don't cook too much (22%)
Becoming better at using our freezers (20%)

Not only is this great news for WRAP and the country as a whole, it is great news for 'Count On It' food freshness labels as they also contribute towards the reduction in food waste by giving households an easy method of tracking the freshness of their food, helping them get the most of their food.

By simply peeling off, sticking on and scratching off the date of opening or storing, Count On It food freshness labels let households know exactly how long food has been stored, helping them get even better at using up the food they already have, whilst getting more out of their food and wasting less of it.

Count On It ... to save time, money and waste.

www.count-on-it.co.uk

For more information on WRAP's report visit, www.wrap.org.uk.

CELEBRITIES LOVE FOOD FRESHNESS LABELS

Count On It® food freshness labels are proving a huge hit with mums across the country.
Available from Lakeland stores and the new January 2009 brochure, leading delis and online at www.lakeland.co.uk, the stick-on labels feature scratch-off panels which show when a product was first opened, stored or frozen.
One of the labels biggest fans is actress and TV star Amanda Holden. Amanda is mum to two-year-old Alexa and her life has never been busier. Recently married to record producer Chris Hughes and about to start filming the third series of Britain’s Got Talent, Amanda loves cooking for Alexa – but wants peace of mind when preparing her daughter’s meals.
“These labels are fantastic – I put them on everything from pasta sauce to Alexa’s leftovers,” she said. “I love giving Alexa fresh, wholesome food, but because of my busy lifestyle, I need to keep track of when I opened stuff – these labels do the job for me.”
Amanda also uses them for batch freezing. “I love making Alexa nutritious foods like fish pies in advance, the labels just remind me when I put them in the freezer.”
Amanda loves the labels so much she has recommended them to her friends Sarah Parish, Angela Griffin and Jane Wall.
Sarah, who has a 7-month-old daughter Ella-Jayne, loves the labels and uses them to help her safely store baby milk and baby food. “These labels are a godsend for busy mums – they are just so easy to use but very effective – just one less thing to worry about,” Sarah said.
Angela agrees. She uses them a lot for freezing food for her two young daughters Tallulah Jae and Melissa. “I’m wondering how I ever managed without them – busy mums will know how easy it can be to forget how long food has been stored and with these labels you can be certain if it is still fresh and safe to eat - no need to worry or to throw away perfectly decent food,” she comments.
For more ideas on how to get the best from your Count On It® labels visit www.count-on-it.co.uk