A national survey of 2,000 parents has found the top foods children refuse to eat that end up in the bin. Mushrooms top the list, closely followed by avocado, cabbage and tomatoes.
Fussy eaters, snacking before mealtimes and poor appetites means more than a quarter of each full plate of food, put on the dinner table, will be left uneaten.
Eight in 10 regularly end up throwing away some of their children’s uneaten meals, with dinner the meal most likely to see wasted food.
The study showed 45 per cent of those polled blame the wasted food on their children being fussy eaters, with 57 per cent admitting they have put a meal in front of their child only to have them completely refuse to eat it.
A staggering 78 per cent had to also face a child turning down a meal because they ‘didn’t like it’, despite happily eating it in the past.
Researchers also revealed almost half admit the amount of food waste in their home leads to disagreements – with an average of three rows a week caused by someone not eating everything on their plate.
The study also found that almost one in four worry about the amount of food they throw away each day, with another 42 per cent saying they worry about the cost.
To combat the food waste in their household, 47 per cent of respondents admitted they would simply like a family who isn’t fussy with their food, with some parents wishing for pigs in the garden to gobble food scraps, while more than one in five would like an automatic food waste bin that empties itself.
The research, commissioned by InSinkErator®, the inventor of the food waste disposer, found that more than half of those polled admit they have no idea what happens to their food when it leaves their home.
The survey continued to question what the respondents thought might happen to their food waste. The results showed that 46 per cent believing it simply goes to landfill, 22 per cent think it’s recycled, while one in 20 think it simply disappears.
Top ten foods children refuse to eat – and end up in the bin
- Mushrooms
- Avocado
- Cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Broccoli
- Lettuce
- Green Beans
- Onions
- Peppers
- Salmon
Top ten things people would like to have at home to help with the food waste
- A family who is not fussy with their food
- An automatic food waste bin that empties itself
- A dedicated area for composting
- A magic wand
- Pigs in the garden
- Better planning when shopping and planning meals
- A dog
- Recipe ideas
- A limit on what is bought when shopping to avoid buying too much
- A waste disposal system
For more information on InSinkErator®, visit the website at www.insinkerator.co.uk
Ends
Image caption:
- Fussy eaters infographic
About InSinkErator®:
InSinkErator® UK, a business unit of Emerson, is the UK and world’s largest manufacturer of food waste disposers and the clear global market leader. Food waste disposers divert around 20 per cent of household waste away from landfill and have been shown to have a smaller carbon footprint than kerbside collection. In 2007 InSinkErator® launched a brand new product, the Steaming Hot Water Tap, which delivers filtered, steaming hot water on demand. The InSinkErator® range of steaming hot water taps has achieved approval from WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme).
For further press information and images please contact:
Hannah at jmm PR
Tel: 01536 414555
Email: hannah@jmmpr.co.uk
12th September 2017
