{
  "id": 12526729,
  "title": "UAE grocery bills rising? Your food waste could be costing you hundreds of dirhams– here’s how to cut costs",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/uae-grocery-bills-rising-your-food-waste-could-be-costing-you",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-07T02:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/lifestyle/uae-grocery-bills-rising-your-food-waste-could-be-costing-you-hundreds-of-dirhams-heres-how-to-cut-costs-1.500700309"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The story begins with an anecdote about a family who purchased a large watermelon but ended up throwing it away after it spoiled. This sets the tone for the rest of the piece, which discusses the issue of food waste in UAE households and how it can be costly. The author explains that food waste is often unintentional and accumulates gradually, rather than occurring all at once. The UAE's National Food Loss and Waste Initiative highlights that every discarded item represents an \"invisible invoice\" that includes the cost of water, transportation, energy and labor that went into producing it. The UAE's household food waste is estimated to be around 95 kg per person per year, which can amount to Dh500 to Dh1,300 per month for a family of four. The article suggests that the cost can be higher, with Dubai residents Anu Ganesan and Pallavi Santhapuram estimating weekly losses between Dh200 and Dh300. The story provides practical tips for reducing food waste, such as buying only what is needed, properly storing perishable items, and being mindful of portion sizes. It emphasizes that food waste not only has financial implications but also significant environmental consequences, as it represents the waste of resources used to produce the discarded food.",
  "summary": "Our watermelon was the first casualty. It was a big one, picked out carefully at the supermarket and carried home with every intention of eating it soon. Then we forgot about it, and by the time we remembered, it had started to turn. The cucumbers, at Dh7 a box, suffered a similar fate. Despite our best efforts, a week after buying them we were throwing some of those away too. The lessons have…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}