I wandered into the kitchen the other day to see my housemate pour the remainder of two pints of milk down the sink. When I asked her why, she replied nonchanantly that it was past its use-by date by a couple of days. This got me wondering how many other people there must be who misunderstand the concept of use-by dates and end up throwing away perfectly good food.
This lack of understanding is one of the reasons the average UK household discards around £60 worth of food a month, the equivalent of 6 meals a week. Yet show any milk related doubt around a middle aged adult and they'll give it a swirl and a sniff, without even glancing at the use-by date before shrugging to tell you, "nothing wrong with it!"
There seems to be a generation gap between those who rely on their senses to judge food, and those who believe the label is the only thing to be trusted. Perhaps its because older generations were raised by post-war, food-conscious parents; food had to last as long as possible, regardless of the date. Nowadays, on the other hand, we live in a society full of consumer greed and for the vast majority of us we have access to a huge variety of food, whenever we want it. Its availabilty means many people disregard the effort, time and money gone into its production and consequently don't think twice about tossing it to the bin when the use-by date looms.
Produce is essentially dated to cover the manufacturers' backs. Through tests, customer feedback or even guesswork, they stamp a date at which they believe the product will be at its optimum quality.
With so many recent food scares and with British health and safety as it is, its no wonder we're so obsessively cautious with use-by dates.
So here's a few food facts to consider next time you think about chucking something:
Milk - Once opened, milk can last up to two weeks. Have a little faith in your sense of smell, thats what its there for after all.
Yogurt - One and a half to two months. Really!
Eggs - They can last up to a month past their sell by date. If you're not sure, fill a bowl with water and gently put the egg in. If it floats, its bad (its filling with air, hence the floating). Remember you can always hard boil them if you think they're on the turn, this way they'll last another week or so.
Bread - Proper bakery bread, the type with no preservatives, lasts around three days. Store it in a plastic bag to stop it from drying out. Alternatively, it can be sliced up then frozen.
Tinned food - Despite what it says on the tin, it lasts up to seven years. However, if the tin is dented there is more of a chance that air and bacteria could enter, reducing its life substantially.
Fruit and veg - Most of it lasts longest in the fridge, apart from:
Bananas - they need to be kept away from other fruits. They produce ethylane gas which speeds up the ripening time of other fruits.
Apples - Also produce ethylane gas. They should be kept in a cool dark place or the fridge.
Avocados - Keep in a paper bag, at room temperature.
Tomatoes - Store at room temperature.
However, if you really can't bear to pour a month out of date tin of beans over your toast, don't mindlessly throw it in to the bin. Spare a thought for the 500,000 people in the UK who rely on food aid and take a short detour to your local food bank. They'd really appreciate it!
This lack of understanding is one of the reasons the average UK household discards around £60 worth of food a month, the equivalent of 6 meals a week. Yet show any milk related doubt around a middle aged adult and they'll give it a swirl and a sniff, without even glancing at the use-by date before shrugging to tell you, "nothing wrong with it!"
There seems to be a generation gap between those who rely on their senses to judge food, and those who believe the label is the only thing to be trusted. Perhaps its because older generations were raised by post-war, food-conscious parents; food had to last as long as possible, regardless of the date. Nowadays, on the other hand, we live in a society full of consumer greed and for the vast majority of us we have access to a huge variety of food, whenever we want it. Its availabilty means many people disregard the effort, time and money gone into its production and consequently don't think twice about tossing it to the bin when the use-by date looms.
Produce is essentially dated to cover the manufacturers' backs. Through tests, customer feedback or even guesswork, they stamp a date at which they believe the product will be at its optimum quality.
With so many recent food scares and with British health and safety as it is, its no wonder we're so obsessively cautious with use-by dates.
So here's a few food facts to consider next time you think about chucking something:
Milk - Once opened, milk can last up to two weeks. Have a little faith in your sense of smell, thats what its there for after all.
Yogurt - One and a half to two months. Really!
Eggs - They can last up to a month past their sell by date. If you're not sure, fill a bowl with water and gently put the egg in. If it floats, its bad (its filling with air, hence the floating). Remember you can always hard boil them if you think they're on the turn, this way they'll last another week or so.
Bread - Proper bakery bread, the type with no preservatives, lasts around three days. Store it in a plastic bag to stop it from drying out. Alternatively, it can be sliced up then frozen.
Tinned food - Despite what it says on the tin, it lasts up to seven years. However, if the tin is dented there is more of a chance that air and bacteria could enter, reducing its life substantially.
Fruit and veg - Most of it lasts longest in the fridge, apart from:
Bananas - they need to be kept away from other fruits. They produce ethylane gas which speeds up the ripening time of other fruits.
Apples - Also produce ethylane gas. They should be kept in a cool dark place or the fridge.
Avocados - Keep in a paper bag, at room temperature.
Tomatoes - Store at room temperature.
However, if you really can't bear to pour a month out of date tin of beans over your toast, don't mindlessly throw it in to the bin. Spare a thought for the 500,000 people in the UK who rely on food aid and take a short detour to your local food bank. They'd really appreciate it!
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