One of the many problems with temperatures of more than 30 degrees is when you make a cuppa and forget to put it back in the fridge you find it's gone off in no time at all.
Our fridges and freezers are doing overtime to try and keep our weekly food shop cool, and Asda have revealed a handy tip to make sure to keep your milk and other essentials fresh.
As the cost of living rises, many are looking for ways to save money and prevent waste, and one way to do that is with a quick five second check at home.
Asda are advising customers to check that their fridge is set to the optimum temperature to help stop their milk turning sour.
READ MORE: Co-op issues message to shoppers who buy milk amid cost of living crisis
Research from climate action NGO WRAP has shown that UK homes throw away approximately 3.1 million glasses worth of milk every day, with families with children throwing away a whopping £60 worth of food and drink each month.
They also found that only half of people knew what temperature to keep their fridge, with millions of UK households setting theirs at least two degrees to warm.
So, now Asda is reminding customers the best temperature at which to keep their fridge to prevent waste. The message will be displayed in store, in the aisles, on Asda radio and online, then later in the year, directly on milk packaging.
The supermarket says that fridges should be set to 5 degrees celsius or lower to avoid food, milk and other produce going off ahead of their best before date.
Adam Randles, Senior Buying Manager, Dairy at Asda, said: “We know that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting our customers and they are looking for ways to reduce costs. Food waste is a big part of budget control and I am sure many will be surprised by how much milk ends up down the sink.
“We will continue to work with partners such as WRAP and our suppliers to look at ways we can reduce our own waste and help customers do the same.”
Asda has set itself a target of reducing waste by 20 per cent by 2025 and 50 per cent by 2030 and already has a zero waste policy in place which means that nothing is sent to landfill.
Helen White, Special Advisor for Household Food Waste at WRAP/Love Food Hate Waste added: “It is great to see Asda encouraging people to check their fridge temperature. We found only half of us know that our fridge should be below 5°C and we think that millions of UK fridges are at least two degrees too warm. This is bad news for milk and other food and drink items kept in the fridge, which can go off quicker when not stored at the right temperature. By storing food and drink correctly, you can extend its life – helping to make the most of what you buy, save money and fight climate change.”
The Co-op are going one step further and even suggesting shoppers freeze their milk. According to the Co-op, two-thirds of UK adults don’t freeze milk at home, and 31 per cent didn’t know you even could. Of those unaware that milk could be frozen, 34 per cent of them said they’d now start putting their milk in the freezer.
In a bid to cut waste, the supermarket are implementing new packaging on their milk. The message from Co-op will read: “Don’t waste me, freeze me, in a suitable, clean container, then defrost in the fridge, use within 24 hours.” The new messaging will appear across all Co-op own brand milk products from September 2022.
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