Tesco warning to anyone who buys bananas

One of the UK's biggest supermarkets has shared an "important" message for customers who buy bananas.

Tesco has shared a handy guide on its website explaining how customers and shoppers at the chain can use up their bananas in the hopes of preventing waste. Around 10% of bananas are wasted every day, the chain says.

Tesco explained: "Versatile bananas are the UK's favourite fruit: we buy more than 5 billion every year, yet 1.4 million of them are wasted every day that's about 10%! Read on for tips to keep them at their best, and some fresh ideas for overripe bananas that go beyond classic banana bread."

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The store is telling shoppers to "store them right" and shares this advice: "Store bananas on their own as the gases they produce will cause other fruit to ripen and spoil more quickly. Keep them at room temperature too refrigerating will make the skin turn black, and the bananas will transfer their smell to the rest of the fridge's contents."

Tesco added: "When they ripen, bananas soften and change colour as the starch breaks down and is converted to sugar. Unripe green bananas aren't particularly appealing when raw, but can be used for cooking."

Bananas shouldn't be stored in a fruit bowl, according to food hygiene expert Tash Blythe, who recommends keeping them on a countertop at room temperature and away from moisture, sunlight and heat reports Birmingham Live.

She said: "Anywhere too warm will speed up the ripening process, so avoid keeping them near ovens or warm appliances."

She added: "The ethylene gas is released from the stem of the banana, so to slow the impact of the gas and avoid them over-ripening too