Members of the public are being encouraged to use their freezers more in a new food safety campaign to slash the seven million tonnes of food and drink thrown away every year.

Research for the Food Standards Agency suggests that misunderstandings over the safe freezing of food are adding to the mountain of waste.

The poll, to mark Food Safety Week (July 4-10), revealed a catalogue of myths that are leading many people to give their freezers the cold shoulder.

Almost half (43%) of those asked believed food has to be frozen on the day it is bought. Four out of ten (38%) wrongly thought it is unsafe to freeze meat once it has been cooked.

Almost as many (46%) incorrectly believed food can become dangerous while it is in the freezer.

The vast majority of those interviewed (68%) had binned food in the last four weeks, with the top reasons given as because it was past its “use by” date (36%), too much had been bought (30%)

The majority of people (54%) feel guilty when they throw unused food away, with bread, fruit and vegetables being the most common foods going out.

The FSA has announced a review of guidance given to food manufacturers over the labelling of dates on products and is considering introducing advice on storing and freezing.

FSA director of policy Steve Wearne said: “Every year, we throw away seven million tonnes of food and drink from our homes. Much of this waste is unnecessary, and a better understanding of how to freeze food safely could go a significant way towards tackling the problem.

“Our research shows that many of the fears the public has about freezing food are unfounded and we need to ensure they know the facts. Thirty-one per cent of the people we spoke to said that more information about how to safely freeze food would help them to reduce their food waste. That’s why freezing is the focus of this year’s Food Safety Week.”

Mr Wearne described the freezer as a “pause button”, enabling foods to be preserved if they are frozen right up to the “use by” date.

“While food is kept safe in the freezer, it’s the quality that deteriorates over time, so we recommend eating it within three to six months and checking for any freezing instructions on the packaging,” he said.

“Once defrosted the pause button is off, so defrost food as and when you need it and eat it within 24 hours of it being fully defrosted.”

It is estimated that the average UK household wastes around six meals each week, which is both expensive and environmentally damaging.

To find out more about the issues, visit lovefoodhatewaste.com.

To learn how to use your freezer safely to cut waste, visit www.food.gov.uk/useby.

You can also follow @foodgov or the hashtag #EatitCookitFreezeit on Twitter for additional tips during Food Safety Week.