People 'taking more food risks'

[Northerner]

People are taking more risks with their food as finances become tighter, a Food Standards Agency survey suggests.

It said its research showed that people were trying to save money by making their food go further.

An FSA survey of nearly 2,000 people across the UK suggested more than half were trying to make better use of leftover food.

This included ignoring use-by dates, as well as keeping leftovers in the fridge for long periods of time.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18370939

 

[trophywench]

I had a rant in Tesco's this very morning re the price of fruit.

I think the prices of strawberries, raspberries etc are punitive. And apparently English apples will be in very short supply this year, a farmer on the Midlands news said last night. In the Vale of Evesham they reckon there will be 80% LESS Cox's for instance due to the early heat followed by cold and torrential rain ...... Galas also affected but not quite so much. N/K re Worcester Pearmains, Russets etc as yet.

This will also mean he personally employs only a quarter of the fruit pickers he normally does (mainly Uni students who rely on the dosh to fund next year) and will only need 7 in his packing shed, whereas normally there would be 20-ish.

OK he saves their wages but he still has to do the same amount of propagation, pruning, fertilsing etc plus keep himself - so with over 50% drop in income its pretty obvious what will happen to the price of apples ......

 

[Northerner]

I find the problem with fruit in supermarkets is the quantities they are sold in. As a single person I have no use for BOGOF offers on huge punnets of strawberries plus they are expensive anyway. I tend to buy tinned fruit mostly, since (I am told) it's just as good for you as the fresh stuff 🙂

I save money by buying in staple items when they are on clearance (reached their sell by date), then I stick them in the freezer. I don't think I've paid full price for mince, chicken, sausages etc. for years because I just take advantage of them when I spot them. Same goes for tea bags, there's always a half price offer on with one brand or another, I'm not fussy. Coffee too - I don't drink much and was nearing the end of my Kenco Rapport jar when, lo and behold!, they are on half price offer in the Co-op today! 🙂 I never buy ready meals or shop-made sandwiches.

I would say that a meal very rarely costs me more than ?1 and more often much less. Much easier to manage when you've only yourself to please, of course. 🙂