New figures show about a third of food grown for human consumption in the UK ends up being thrown away. What can be done to reduce this excessive waste?

National charity Fare Share redistributes quality surplus food.

It says the whopping 12,000 meals it provides for homeless and vulnerable people each day is "just the tip of the iceberg" of what could be used.

Eight Fare Share schemes operate across the UK, with 250 local charities taking part.

Its marketing director Alex Green has praise for the 100-plus companies that give it food that would otherwise have been thrown away.

But there were "lots of other big companies" who "deny they've got any waste at all", he told the BBC News website.

"Historically, if your shareholders realised all your products weren't being used, it would be like washing your dirty linen in public."

Food is given to Fare Share when it is still within its sell by date but could not be distributed to a supermarket in time to be sold in date.