Supermarkets urged to bin ‘wasteful’ BOGOFs

Campaigners have reacted with fury to a plan to scrap supermarket special offers.

In a new report, a House of Lords committee calls for ‘buy one, get one free’ deals to be axed.

The report into food waste calls for an end to promotions that encourage shoppers to buy more than they need.

But food poverty campaigners have pointed out that as food prices continue to soar, special offers can be vital.

Food prices have risen nearly 10% faster than inflation over the last six years.

The most recent research by consumer group Which? found two-thirds of people are worried about rising food bills.

Robbie Davison, director of the Can Cook food poverty campaign, said: “‘Buy one, get one free’ works.

“For some product lines it can be fantastic.

“If you’ve got the ability and ideas to use the ingredients on special offer or if you can freeze any you don’t need immediately, it can be great.”

Mr Davison added: “The politicians are completely detached from the way most people live their lives. Supermarket special offers have no bearing on their lives.”

Lib Dem peer Baroness Scott of Needham Market chaired the committee looking into food waste across the EU.

She said: “Food waste in the EU and the UK is clearly a huge issue.

“Not only is it morally repugnant, but it has serious economic and environmental implications.

“There is much that can be done domestically to reduce food waste. We are urging the supermarkets to look again at offers such as ‘buy one get one free’, which can encourage excess consumption which leads to food waste.”

Her committee found a staggering 90 million tonnes of food is wasted across the EU each year.

Around 15 million tonnes are thrown away in the UK alone costing business £5 billion every year.

In Scotland, families waste more than £40 a month throwing the equivalent of almost a meal a day into the bin.

Baroness Scott added: “We were shocked at the extent of food waste in the EU. Some efforts are already being made, which is very positive, but much more can be done and so we are calling on the EU, the Government, businesses and consumers to make sure it is.”

The committee called for the EU to establish a five-year strategy to reduce food waste.

They also called for more food to be diverted away from waste.

Currently businesses can sell waste to be turned into compost rather than passing edible food on to charities such as food banks.

The committee wants to see incentives changed to make it more attractive to big firms to donate food.

It praised the Scottish Government for making urban businesses separate food waste as part of their refuse collection and called on Westminster to ensure funding for waste reduction programmes is maintained.