Home Cooking – And Food Waste Cost – Both Impact Consumers As They Adapt To Pandemic Life

SUSSEX, Wis. - Aug. 12, 2020 - PRLog -- New routines in food shopping, preparation and storage – all prudent and needed responses to the global pandemic – are driving long-term shifts in consumer behavior, according to the experts at Wisconsin-based Sussex IM.

According to Elizabeth Detampel, Sales and Marketing Specialist, Sussex IM, "Recent health concerns have led to less – but larger – trips to the supermarket, more weekly meal-planning, and the addition of new foods and flavors to household repertoires. At the same time, buying in larger quantities – and less frequently – puts added emphasis on enhanced food storage tactics."

A recent article in Food Manufacturing Magazine states that 88 percent of consumers do more at-home cooking since shelter-in-place began earlier this year, and 72 percent have lessened the frequency of their grocery shopping. Yet only 57 percent have reorganized their pantries, freezers and refrigerators.

Such disorder leads to waste and, according to the EPA, there is lots of it: America throws away more than 38 million tons of food annually, an amount equal to the weight of 104 Empire State Buildings, with a dollar value of $218 billion (Natural Resources Defense Council). In addition, the research firm OnePol reports that the average American dumps nearly $55 of spoiled food a week.

"We are buying more, and doing it less frequently, receiving more food deliveries, and trying new food products," Detampel said.  "According to U.S. Department of Agriculture statistics, over three out of four consumers forget what is in their fridge, or can't find it.  And that means waste.  American fridges are unorganized.  The good news is that Mr. Lid is here to help. As people seek new food storage options, our online sales have had a dramatic increase this year.  Some major retailers are looking at adding Mr Lid to their shelves."

The company's Wisconsin-made Mr. Lid storage containers are secure, air-tight, easy to stack, microwave and dishwasher safe.  They are sold in stores, online, and via www.MrLid.com.

"Men, women and children are involved in food prep and storage these days, and all appreciate the key benefit of Mr. Lid containers: the lid is permanently attached by a state-of-the-art, Sussex-developed 'living hinge'," added Keith Everson, CEP. Sussex IM.  "This eliminates a common consumer frustration – lost lids."

 Further, each Mr. Lid container is BPA-free, crafted to last more than 100 industrial dishwashing cycles, recyclable, and leak-resistant, thanks to the company's proprietary air-tight seal technology.  The containers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors.

Food Storage the Mr. Lid Way

According to Sussex IM's Detampel, there are easy ways to streamline in-fridge organization, reduce waste and save time searching for ingredients – with the right food storage containers, of course.

• First-in/first-out" food prep: Place your oldest foods in the front of the fridge, and plan meals around those ingredients first. This reduces the chance of wasteful (and icky) back-of-the-fridge "science experiments".
• Keep leftovers in the front of your fridge. Label your Mr. Lid containers with tape. Put the eat-by date on the container. Generally, leftovers keep well for up to four days, according to the prestigious Harvard School of Public Health.
• Prep veggies as soon as you purchase them -- wash, chop, and dry. Then Mr. Lid them.  "Let's face it (we've all been guilty of this): immediately stuffing them into the produce bins of your fridge increases the chance that you'll forget about them and not use them at peak freshness," said Detampel.

About Sussex IM

SussexIM is a full-service, fully automated supplier that solves problems to satisfy consumer needs. SussexIM 's capabilities include B-to-B and, now, B-to-C. The company was founded in 1977 and has experienced annual double-digit growth in recent years.