Forget FOMO (fear-of-missing-out), socialising has a new enemy this summer and it’s the household fridge. A surprising one in three Brits (34%) are regularly turning down plans to eat out with friends because they’re worried about their food going off at home.
This is because they’re worried that food will pass its best before they’ve had the chance to enjoy it – something which three in five (72%) Brits say causes them to feel guilty. The study by Ocado also found that more than half (59%) of Brits admit to worrying about their food going off at least on a weekly basis.
It’s not just an emotional cost – food not lasting as long as expected leads to British households binning on average £20-£40 of food a month, or up to £480 a year. What’s more, nearly half (44%) of Brits have even taken to hiding sell-by dates and expired food from their partner.
This new phenomenon is best described as FOGO – the Fear of Going Off. And it isn’t only affecting our social lives, it’s impacting our ability to cook spontaneously. Over half (52%) of Brits find themselves reluctantly basing their meals around ingredients that need using up, even if it’s not what they fancy eating. The impending fear of expiring food is also affecting Brits’ shopping behaviours, as over half of Brits (58%) admit their food shopping choices are dictated by consume-by dates.
To reassure Brits on the shelf-life of their food and help to combat FOGO, Ocado has teamed up with Instagram Chef, Alfie (@alfiecooks), to transform an Ocado delivery van into a farmer’s field on wheels. The van, which is abundant with leafy vegetables, fruit and growing herbs, has been unveiled to mark the launch of the Ocado Fresh+ Promise – a promise that fresh food delivered by the online supermarket will come straight to your door with no supermarket detour.
Alfie (@alfiecooks) comments: ‘’Nothing compares to fresh produce. And it’s not only about the great taste, it’s knowing you can rest easy and enjoy planning how to cook with it, because your food isn’t rapidly wilting away. FOGO is real, and according to Ocado’s research, many of us experience it. I want to help people fight the fear, so they can experience all the joy of super fresh produce, without the worry that they’re cooking against the clock.”
Frustration over expiration dates is helping to fuel FOGO, with over half of Brits (64%) saying they are often disappointed with how long their fresh food lasts. What’s more, over a third of Brits (36%) say they have to make return visits to the shops due to their produce going off quicker than expected, with the most common culprits being salad leaves (43%), bread (34%) and soft fruits (33%).
Laura Harricks, Ocado chief customer officer, says: ‘’We know how frustrating it can be when food goes off before you were expecting; it can throw meal plans out the window and as this study reveals, social plans and money too! We want to help the nation fight against FOGO and, with the Ocado Fresh+ Promise, give people peace of mind, so they can spend a little less time worrying about the food in their fridge and more time enjoying it.”
Ocado‘s Fresh+ Promise ensures customers’ food is delivered straight to the door with no supermarket detour. That means food arrives as fresh as they’d expect, and then some. And that goes for fruit and veg, as much as bread and milk, helping plan ahead for next week’s lunches. And as a promise is a promise, if customers still aren’t 100% happy, they can sort a no-quibbles refund via the Ocado app.
