Aldi has issued urgent advice for shoppers buying potatoes, teaming up with food waste storage expert Kate Hall to reveal that potatoes last longer without sprouting when stored in the fridge. The supermarket chain is on a mission to help customers reduce food waste and stretch their budgets.
Fridge Storage Extends Potato Life
Kate Hall, a food waste storage expert, explained that storing potatoes in the fridge can make them last up to three times longer. She stated: “Roughly 4.4 million potatoes are wasted every day in the UK! Advice around storing potatoes actually changed a couple of years ago and it has been found that keeping them in the fridge can help them last up to three times longer.”
For those without fridge space, Hall recommends a cool, dark place, but stressed the importance of keeping potatoes away from onions. “Store them away from your onions, as these encourage our spuds to sprout faster, and moisture released from spuds can actually make onions go mouldy too,” she added.
Freezing as an Alternative
Hall also encouraged shoppers to consider freezing potatoes if they cannot consume them in time. “You can’t freeze them raw, but you can absolutely cook a batch of baked potatoes, prep your roasties, or some mash and pop into the freezer once cooled. You don’t even need to defrost them when you want them, just reheat straight from frozen until they’re piping hot!”
She emphasized the benefits of freezing: “Using your freezer is such a simple way to press pause on your food so it doesn’t end up in the bin. Freezing food can help our budgets stretch further, and you can actually freeze a lot more than people realise. The trick is knowing the best way to freeze food and what to do with it after freezing.”
Aldi's Commitment to Reducing Waste
Luke Emery, National Sustainability Director at Aldi UK, highlighted the company's efforts: “At Aldi, we’re committed to reducing food waste wherever we can across our supply chain, whether that be working with suppliers to cut down on waste, or marking down prices of items nearing their sell by date.”
He added: “Now we’re on a mission to help shoppers minimise their food waste too, while getting even more value from their Aldi groceries at the same time. It seems simple, but the research shows that freezing items still isn’t something many do – so we want to showcase just how easy that can be.”
