US brand Tupperware has filed for bankruptcy as it struggles to survive in the face of sliding sales.

The food storage container firm said it will ask for court permission to start a sale of the business and that it aimed to continue operating.

The 78-year-old firm has become so synonymous with food storage that many people use its name when referring to any old plastic container.

Despite attempts to freshen up its products in recent years and reposition itself to a younger audience, it has failed to stand out from competitors.