New evidence by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has found some people are taking food safety risks because of money pressures and rising energy costs.
Their latest survey found 40% of participants reported feeling worried about being able to afford food in the next month
One in three people reported that they had skipped a meal or cut down the size of their meals because they did not have enough money to buy food in the last month
32% of participants reported that they had eaten food past its use-by date, at least once in the past month, because they couldn’t afford to buy more food and nearly one in five turned off a fridge and/or freezer containing food, at least once in the last month, to reduce energy bills and save money
Along with publishing this evidence, the FSA is also reminding people how they can stay safe while making their food go further and saving money.
Emily Miles, FSA Chief Executive, said:
‘We know many people are worried about food affordability right now and our evidence shows that people are finding ways to save money where they can. It’s not a good idea to turn off the fridge or eat food past its use-by date as these things can lead to a higher risk of you becoming ill with food poisoning.
‘Your fridge is a useful appliance that not only keeps your food safe, but can help cut down what you end up throwing out. Keeping your fridge cold enough, 5°C or below, will prevent bacteria from multiplying on your food and make it last as long as it can. You should also keep food with a ‘use by date’ in the fridge and think about freezing it on or before the day of the date if you’re not going to use it.
‘We’ve got lots more advice on our website to help people use their judgement and make informed choices, while staying safe.’
