• Avoid food wastage with the appropriate refrigerator

• Freshness system extends shelf life of fruit and vegetables

Hand on heart: Who doesn't throw food away at home? Each and every consumer bins 78 kg of food each year according to the German Federal Office of Statistics (2020). Frequently, this is produce which is still edible, although it may no longer look fresh or has simply been in the fridge for too long. Proper storage in a refrigerator also plays a key role in any responsible approach to food. To mark tomorrow's International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, here are a few tips and tricks:

Think ahead when buying a new refrigerator: Go for a right-sized model which best serves your needs. A large freestanding unit in stainless steel standing 2 m tall may well cut a fine figure in the kitchen. But such a behemoth only tempts you to store more food than is really needed – much of which ends up in the bin and not on the table. If, on the other hand, a refrigerator is too small, it may be that food is crammed in, easily overlooked and then passes its use-by date.

If you like having plenty of fresh produce on hand, your refrigerator should have the right specifications. Miele offers various freshness systems facilitating food storage over different periods – though to keeping produce fresh for five times longer than in a traditional larder compartment. Background: It is a well-known fact that fruit and vegetables require humidity to remain crisp and fresh. At temperatures between 0°C and 3°C, Miele's proven PerfectFresh Pro system keeps food fresh for up to five times longer than is possible in a conventional vegetable drawer. This retains the moisture in the food inside the sealed compartment. The next step up from this is PerfectFresh Active: With this feature, a fine mist envelops the contents of the drawer to protect quality and vitamins. Additional moisture is applied separately – for that burst of freshness.

But too much freshness in the form of low temperatures is not good for some foodstuffs. Fruit and vegetables, in particular, are sensitive to cold. For that reason, tropical fruit and vegetables with a high water content, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, should not be stored in a refrigerator! Furthermore, fruit and vegetables should always be stored apart from each other, for example in separate drawers. But why? Ripe fruit releases ethylene, a colourless gas which causes vegetables to spoil faster.

And there is one thing which ensures ideal storage conditions in a refrigerator: regular cleaning. Simply clear out the fridge and wipe surfaces with a mild detergent – and gone is the breeding ground for bacteria. Special tip: Occasionally use a pipe cleaner (available from crafts stores) to clean the drain in the rear panel to prevent any blockage from crumbs or other debris. This way, your refrigerator stays clean and food is protected.

Company profile: Miele is the world's leading manufacturer of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floor care products. Their product portfolio also includes dishwashers, washing machines and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications. Founded in 1899, the company has eight production plants in Germany, one each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China, Romania and Poland as well as two production plants belonging to its Italian medical technology subsidiary Steelco. Sales in the 2022 business year amounted to around € 5.43 bn. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries/regions. Throughout the world, the family-run enterprise, now in its fourth generation, employs a workforce of around 23,300, of which approx. 11,900 employees work in Germany. The company has its headquarters in Gütersloh in Westphalia.