Iglo is teaming up with the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) in the pan-European iFreeze campaign which aims to inform customers on the benefits of freezing on a million occasions by 2020 through TV and print advertising, online tips and on-pack advice.

Iglo hopes the campaign will reduce the €260 of food waste thrown away by every European household each year.

£3bn wasted

Iglo’s UK brand Birds Eye will be the first to launch the campaign in April, supported by WRAP, home appliance manufacturer Hotpoint and the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF).

Research undertaken by WRAP revealed that UK households throw away 850,000 tonnes of good food – worth £3bn – each year, which could have been frozen. Iglo highlighted a need to highlight the possibilities of freezing to consumers, as it showed 20% of people throw food away because they have cooked too much. The same amount regularly throw food away because it is past its best.

However, 71% of consumers consider throwing away food which has passed its ‘best-before’ date as wasteful. Iglo says its research demonstrates that further education is required to encourage consumers to store and freeze food.

Business Led Campaign

Iglo Group UK managing director Andy Weston-Webb, said: “Freezing, as a means of preservation, and frozen food both have the potential to play a key role in the fight against food waste and save consumers money.

“As Europe’s leading frozen food Company, we should and can help educate consumers. Research shows that consumers want businesses to work with other organisations and forming this partnership with WRAP enables us to elevate this message.”

WRAP CEO Dr Liz Goodwin added: “WRAP found that around 850,000 tonnes of good food goes to waste every year from our homes, which could have been eaten later if frozen. This partnership allows us to highlight the important role freezing can play in reducing food waste, and will help support our ambition to halve UK avoidable household food waste by 2025.”

Celebrity endorsment

Meanwhile, WRAP’s Love Food Hate Waste campaign – which has ambitions to halve the 4.2 million avoidable household food waste by 2025 – has this week welcomed five newly-appointed celebrity ambassadors – actress and director Sunetra Sarker and celebrity chefs Rachael Khoo, James Strawbridge, Richard Fox and Shane Jordan – in a bid to raise awareness of the campaign among the UK public. 

“I have been involved with the Love Food Hate Waste campaign for several years now and am passionate about helping people to create great meals from their leftovers,” said new campaign ambassador Fox. “Having worked closely with members of the public recently through live cookery demonstrations I know how keen people are not to waste food. Love Food Hate Waste offers straightforward tips and advice to help people to waste less and save more and I am proud to be supporting them on their journey to reducing food waste.”

Lucinda Dann

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