Consumers losing money on spoiled produce

Americans waste $1,500 worth of produce every year

SAN ANTONIO – The average American family wastes some $1,500 worth of food every year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Much of that wasted food is produce. Wilted lettuce, moldy strawberries — more than half of the produce families buy gets trashed.

Consumer Reports put seven containers to the test to see which one was the best for preserving produce. Among them were Oxo Good Grips Greensaver and Rubbermaid’s Fresh Works. Each container costs $20.

Raspberries, strawberries, baby leaf greens and lettuce went into the fridge, along with samples stored in their original clamshells.

The greens in the Oxo Good Grips looked good, and the strawberries in the Rubbermaid looked better than those in the other containers.

"Overall, we found that none of the containers kept produce much fresher than the original containers,” said Bernie Deitrick, with Consumer Reports.

As it turns out, refrigerators can make a difference in produce freshness. Produce lasts much longer stored in a dual evaporative refrigerator that chills the freezer and the refrigerator sections separately.

Any refrigerator could do a good job of storing produce if the food is stored right. For instance, broccoli and leafy greens should go in a high-humidity drawer, but fruits go in a low-humidity drawer.

And some produce, like potatoes and onions, shouldn’t even go in the refrigerator at all. They should be kept separated because gases from the onions will cause potatoes to sprout. Tomatoes do best with the stem side down on the counter. 


About the Author:

Marilyn Moritz is an award-winning journalist dedicated to digging up information that can make people’s lives a little bit better. As KSAT’S 12 On Your Side Consumer reporter, she focuses on exposing scams and dangerous products and helping people save money.