9 March 2026, London – As grocery price inflation accelerates and consumer budgets tighten, UK households are throwing away hundreds of pounds every year on forgotten food.
GS1 UK’s nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults reveals that one-in-three forget food they’ve purchased is in their fridge and one-in-four forget to check use-by dates. 43 per cent of consumers describe this as a “waste of money”, far exceeding environmental concern as a motivator for change at just 18 per cent.
The findings come at a critical moment for household finances. Grocery price inflation reached 4.3 per cent in February 2026, up from 4 per cent in January. In November 2025, 61 per cent of adults reported an increase in their cost of living, with 95 per cent citing food shopping price increases. For families already managing higher living costs, forgotten food represents money they literally cannot afford to lose.
The research identifies three critical “forgetting moments”: 33 per cent forget food they’ve purchased is in their fridge, 25 per cent forget to check use-by dates before throwing food away and 49 per cent throw away food because it goes off before they can use it. This problem persists even among households with access to food waste separation systems. The barrier isn’t infrastructure, it’s visibility, memory and understanding of product information.
The research also reveals strong consumer appetite for solutions. 75 per cent of UK adults believe clearer food labelling would help reduce household waste demonstrating the scale of demand for better product information, yet most households lack the tools to act on this need.
“When households are struggling to afford their weekly shop, the money lost to forgotten food becomes even more important,” said Anne Godfrey, CEO at GS1 UK. “This research shows that household behaviour and budget management are critical to reducing food waste. Millions of UK households are losing money through forgotten food at a time when every pound counts.”
There is a clear opportunity for emerging digital solutions, such as QR codes powered by GS1, to help solve this real household problem. 47 per cent of consumers say they would be likely to use a QR code that tracks expiry dates and alerts them when products near their use-by date. 42 per cent would trust a product’s freshness more if they could scan a QR code for real-time storage and expiry advice. 35 per cent of consumers say they would be more likely to buy a product with a QR code that helps them reduce food waste at home, showing they’re willing to support brands that provide these solutions.
By scanning a QR code powered by GS1 at the shelf or at home, consumers can instantly access clear shelf-life information and storage instructions, best-by vs. use-by date explanations, portion size guidance and recipe ideas, directly addressing the “forgetting moments” that are causing UK households to lose out.
This addresses a critical consumer need at a time of rising grocery costs. Private-label goods now represent more than 50 per cent of supermarket purchases as households look to reduce spending and clearer product information helps families maximise value from budget purchases.
“QR codes powered by GS1 bridge the gap between the physical product and digital information,” explains Anne Godfrey. “For consumers managing tight budgets, that could mean instant clarity about shelf-life and storage, the two factors driving forgotten food waste. For retailers, it means happier customers who trust they’re getting value.”
70 per cent of UK consumers believe there is more supermarkets could do to reduce food waste. However, households could also have a significant role to play in preventing unnecessary waste if supported with better access to and understanding of product information. 35 per cent support a requirement for all food products to include a QR code linking to storage and expiry advice, indicating strong backing for the infrastructure investment needed.
“Adoption happens fastest when consumers want something,” said Anne. “By showing households how QR codes can solve the real problem they face, forgetting what they bought, when it expires, and maximising value from every purchase, we’re creating the demand signal that motivates retailers and suppliers to invest in this infrastructure.”
Notes to editors
For further information or requests for interviews, contact Max Fairhurst, max.fairhurst@redbrickroad.com, 07799 739438, or Alex Cox, alexander.cox@gs1uk.org, 07464946769
About the research
Nationally representative research (on the basis of age/gender/region) of 2,000 UK adults carried out by OnePoll between 25 and 29 September 2025.
About GS1 UK
Whether online, in store or in a hospital, the common language of GS1 global standards is helping our community of more than 60,000 organisations across the UK to uniquely identify, describe and track anything, creating greater trust in data for everyone. From product barcodes to patient wristbands, GS1 standards have been transforming the way we work and live for 50 years. We are now embarking on the next 50 years of industry transformation delivered through QR codes powered by GS1.