"Less food wasted" during credit crunch

Now 62% of supermarket consumers are concerned about wasted food because of the growing price of products, Sainsbury's said.

Moreover, the research discovered that 45% of shoppers now make their meals from scratch rather than purchasing ready meals, while about a third of those questioned stated that they try to make food stretch over a couple of meals.

Waste and Resources Action Programme representative Julia Falcon said that her organisation has operated alongside Sainsbury's in a bid to solve previous levels of wasteage.

She stated: "We've worked closely with Sainsbury's to look at the best ways to help people use all the food they buy, and now that budgets are getting tighter it pays to love your leftovers."