A ROADSHOW in Tavistock's Bedford Square has been spreading the word about how best to store food and keep it fresher for longer.

West Devon Borough Council's recycling team has joined forces with the national campaign Love Food Hate Waste to help people save money and cut down on the amount of food they throw away.

An average family with children bins around £60 of useable food per month, it is estimated.  

A steady stream of local residents visited the roadshow last Tuesday to get some expert advice and claim a free food storage clip along with other related giveaways.

Ron Gray from Bere Alston spent around 20 minutes at the road-show getting some useful tips.

He said: 'My wife is very keen using up leftovers so the road-show caught her eye.

'I found it very interesting to chat to the recycling team about storing food, and the food clip will come in very handy.'

Around 20% of black bin waste in West Devon is still made up of food.

Andy Barron from the borough council's recycling team, said: 'Storing food correctly can often be confusing because some produce is best left in its packaging and some is best kept differently.

'These days many large retailers and manufacturers use packaging that prolongs the life of fresh fruit and vegetables and helps to retain their taste for longer.

'The best thing to do is read the packaging before you open it.  It should tell you the best storage option.

'Don't automatically assume that plastic wrappers will make food sweat.  Some are now breathable and often food is best kept in the original packaging.'