LONDON, May 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• Research reveals positive effects on our eating habits following food scandals- with nearly 18 million processed meals thrown away^[1]
• Launch of Fresh Week which challenges people to turn to fresh food for a week and give up all processed meals

Families are embracing fresh food, as they clear out more than 13.5 thousand tonnes of processed food.^[2]

     (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130513/613441 )

New research from Tefal, to launch the first ever Fresh Week, shows that recent food scandals and much publicised research into the health risks associated with processed meat have had a positive effect on the nation's eating habits.

Nearly a quarter (24%) of Britons say that they have cut down on the amount of processed food they eat, with the typical family set to spend £1,762 on fresh food in the coming year.^[3]

The fresh food renaissance is being driven by health concerns, with nearly a third (30%)^[4] saying that they were put off processed meals by the recent horsemeat scandal and just under 2.8 million people saying that they have thrown out processed meals as a result.^[5]

It also appears that traditional English fruit and vegetables are making a comeback at the dinner table, with British apples, garden peas, cauliflower and cabbage all more growing in popularity.^[6]

The research is published as Tefal launches 'Fresh Week' - an initiative to encourage Britain to exchange convenience and ready-made meals for fresh unprocessed food for a week from Monday 13 May to Sunday 19 May 2013.

British TV actress and best-selling cookery writer Fay Ripley is officially supporting 'Fresh Week' in her new role as a Tefal ambassador. As a celebrity mum who advocates healthy cooking with her family, Fay says:

"With stories in the news about hidden ingredients and high salt or sugar content in processed foods, it's no wonder as parents we worry about what our families are eating. Fresh Week is about finding easy ways to get more fresh fruit and vegetables into mealtimes and knowing what we're putting on the table."

For many, the hassle of preparing food has been a major barrier to eating fresh fruit and veg^[7] which is being overcome by new kitchen innovations such as the Tefal Fresh Express, which chops, shreds and grates fruit vegetables and nuts safely and conveniently.

Tefal is calling on the British public to take part in Fresh Week by pledging at http://tefalfreshexpress.co.uk/freshweek/pledge/.

Research Methodology

ICM research questioned 2007 UK adults about their eating and purchasing habits following recent well-publicised food scandals. Interviews took place between 5th-7th April 2013. Results were weighted to be representative of the UK population

1. Respondents were asked: "did you throw out any items of packaged or processed food as a result of the reporting of the presence of horsemeat in some products?". A total of 17,865,094 processed meals were thrown out (estimate based on UK over-18 adult population of 47,358,000). Full workings available, email sebteam@thirdcity.co.uk

2. Weight estimate is based on the average weight of the products, from a sample of different brands commonly found in a supermarket. Weight calculated by multiplying this by the number of meals and individual items (eg. sausage, burgers) discarded. Full workings available, email sebteam@thirdcity.co.uk

3. Currently people spend £66.36 per week on groceries of which £11.34 is on processed food and £33.89 on fresh food. This is slight increase on the figures prior to the recent horsemeat scandal, which were £65.19 per week, with £12.82 on processed food and £32.14 on fresh food

4. A third of those who have given up processed food

5. A total of 2,794,122 say they have thrown out meals for one since the horsemeat scandal (eg. lasagne, curries, meat pies)  

6. Respondents were asked: "Which of the following fruits or vegetables are you eating more of now than you used to" British Apples (20 per cent), garden peas (19 per cent), cauliflower (19 per cent) and cabbage (18 per cent) all more popular than they were before the horsemeat scandal

7. 21 per cent of respondents say that vegetable preparation is the most tedious part of preparing a meal. One in twenty (4 per cent) use a machine to assist with vegetable preparation

SOURCE Tefal