The cost of living has seen many household bills go up, including food shopping. Approximately 42 million tonnes of food is purchased annually in the UK – yet one-quarter of which is wasted.

It is the equivalent of £6.6billion every year, and the main reason given for throwing away food is because it’s "not used in time".

This is according to research from Too Good To Go, who have shared its Most Wasted Food List.

The top three most binned food items in the UK include potatoes, homemade and pre-prepared meals and bread.

Thankfully supermarket giant Tesco has come to the rescue and shared advice with its customers who buy bread.

As many people buy bread as part of their weekly food shop it can be hard to use it up in time before it starts to go mouldy.

However, Tesco’s website states: “If you’ve bought too much bread or can just never get through a whole loaf before it goes stale, the freezer can help. Place whole loaves straight in the freezer, wrapping tightly and squeezing out excess air.”

For those who plan on using the bread at a later date, the supermarket has also shared different ways people can use it up.

Tesco continued: “Sliced bread can be toasted straight from frozen and you won’t notice the difference – top with mushrooms, tuna or build a club sandwich.”

The supermarket added that freezers are the “most efficient’ when they are ‘full’ so make the most of the space to prevent food wastage.

Tesco also shared tips on making the most of the household appliance and before you start filling it up.

They said: “Food should always be at room temperature before freezing. If it’s hot when you put it in, the rest of the freezer will start to defrost.

“Label everything with the date you froze it and what it is, for easy recognition later. Food will expand once frozen, so don’t fill containers right to the top. Always defrost food in the fridge, not at room temperature."

Meanwhile, Sophie Trueman, UK country director at Too Good To Go has also shared some tips for stopping bread from going to waste.

Trueman said: “The equivalent of 1.3 million loaves of bread are thrown away every day in the UK, often due to incorrect storage.

“Cloth bags are ideal for storing bread as they help maintain its properties and prevent it from drying out, especially if you add a piece of potato to the bag.

“Freshly made bread should not be stored in airtight bags to allow it to breathe and stay as fresh as possible; instead, use a bread basket or cloth bag to cool it at room temperature. For sliced bread, store it in the fridge to extend its shelf life, and always check its condition before eating.”