It’s impossible to escape reports of wasted food, every few months. When I was a wee boy in the 1970s there was no such thing, because our parents and grandparents came from a generation that knew about shortages , hunger and the value of last week’s bread. If I left anything on the plate my grandfather told me to eat it up because “they are starving in China” – I didn’t even know where China was!

Although we are now blessed with plenty I am still careful with leftovers, as if my wife. Hard bread – toast it. Cheese getting like a board – shave the edge and eat the rest or use it in a scrambled egg. Use the fridge to preserve fruit and veg for an extra week or two. We often eat weekend leftovers until Wednesday, making me the butt of office jokes from the staff.

Perhaps when people succumb to the bargain basement offers in the supermarkets they shoudl stop and think whether can actually consume it. Perhaps purchase together with a friend or relative. Now that people have to recycle their kitchen scraps you would think they are taking notice of what is being chucked out, especially in these challenging economic times.

By the way I must declare an interest – I own shares in Tesco.

The problem is that we don’t even contemplate the possibility of shortage these days but as they say “never say never”. who knows, one day we may be importing food from a place called China ……