Food waste is tough on our wallets and the planet – but how can we tell if food is still good to eat?
The cost of our supermarket shop is still going up, so it’s important to know when food is still good to eat so we don’t waste anything.
Dates on food packaging can make us feel like we’re risking our health if we ignore them.
But best-before dates just mean the product might not taste its best if we eat it after the date.
Use-by dates are concerned with the safety of the product after that date has passed.
Waste-fighting charity WRAP said the most wasted foods are milk, potatoes and bread. Each household pours 18 pints of milk down the sink each year – mainly just because of the use-by date.
A simple sniff
But in a bid to cut the amount of milk we waste, retailers like Aldi, Morrisons and M&S have recently ditched use-by dates on their bottles.
They want us to use our judgement to decide whether it’s okay to consume.
That’s because it’s relatively easy to tell if milk is off – a simple sniff should tell us. The same goes for yoghurt.
And keeping bread in the fridge can help it last beyond its use-by date. This may affect the taste though, and as soon as we see or smell any sign of mould then it’s definitely time to throw it out.
With eggs that are past their date, a quick dunk in a bowl of water will tell us if they’re still good. A bad egg will float (because so much air has got in through its shell) but a good one will sink.
These foods all give us clues when they’re no longer good to eat.
It’s important to remember though that other foods, like meat or poultry, may look and smell fine after their use-by date but would make us ill if we ate them.
Looks can be deceiving
Until not so long ago, supermarkets were not allowed to sell fruit and veg that didn’t look the part.
Now, in a bid to tackle wood waste, supermarkets are offering deals on wonky produce so we can save our money and the planet.
Lidl’s “waste not” fruit and veg boxes go for just £1.50 and contain around 5kg of goods. Not every store will offer the box but we can ask the staff or call ahead to double check. Tip: We are more likely to secure a box at the beginning of the day.
There are also tons of delivery services like Wonky Veg Boxes, offering a variety of lumpy and bumpy veg for a fraction of the price.
Food inflation easing
And finally there’s some good news about food prices.
Supermarkets like Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose have committed to cutting their prices in 2024. Sainsbury’s has launched their Low Everyday Prices campaign, offering “better value” for over 1000 products.
It’s a sign that inflation is easing a bit. But all this means for now is that prices are rising less quickly than before. The cost of our food shop is still going up so we’ll still have to look for ways to save.
Morrisons has also promised to stock its Savers range in its smaller convenience stores. Typically, these stores don’t offer as much choice at the lower end of the price range but shoppers who don’t have a car often have no choice but to use them.
Image: Viktoriia Hnatiuk / Shutterstock
