A recent study among 2,000 British adults revealed changes in the kitchen cupboard staples found in households. The study found that one in three homes now keeps a bottle of soy sauce on hand, with 10% having rice crackers and 25% considering balsamic vinegar an essential ingredient.
Traditional staples like corned beef, condensed milk, and spam are more likely to be found in the cupboards of parents or grandparents. These include tinned peaches (27%), tinned sardines (21%), and Bovril (21%).
Some favorites, however, have stood the test of time, with baked beans, biscuits, tinned soup, chopped tomatoes, tinned tuna, and lentils remaining common after 40 years.
The study was conducted in collaboration with Spar to launch its ‘Giving One Million Meals’ project with charity FareShare. Spar is contributing £250,000, with additional support from Coca-Cola and Robinsons. For every £1 donated, FareShare can distribute enough food for four meals to people in need across the UK.
Suzanne Dover, spokesperson for Spar, highlighted the importance of having essential ingredients on hand and noted how these staples have evolved over the years.
The study also found that 18% of respondents believe they have five to ten items in their cupboards that are long past their use-by date, and 61% believe they have spices, tins, or bags of food that are up to four years old.
Around 83% of respondents save and use leftover cooked food rather than throwing it away. Additionally, 49% have donated to food banks and charities, with 19% increasing their donations to food banks in recent years to help with the cost-of-living crisis.
Polly Bianchi, director of fundraising at FareShare, expressed gratitude for the donation from Spar and partners, as it will significantly contribute to their work in distributing surplus food to those in need, especially during the approaching winter months. FareShare supports a network of 8,500 charities across the UK that provide meals and support to people impacted by the cost of living crisis.
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