Delicious UK - (02)February 2020

on the quality of the jam”.

It’s a classic example of the

confusion surrounding use-by

and best-before labels. The theory

is simple: ‘use by’ (and ‘consume

within’) dates are about food safety,

while ‘best before’ is an indicator

of quality only. Yet the 2017 food

waste report from the National

Federation of Women’s Institutes

(NFWI) found that just 45 per cent

of respondents understood what

these terms meant.

The NFWI’s survey followed

findings by the government’s waste

advisory body, WRAP, which

reportedthatUKhouseholdswaste

5 milliontonnesofediblefood

annually. These findings prompted

Tesco to remove ‘best before’ dates

on 70 of its fresh fruit and vegetable

products, so that now it’s up to

the customer to decide whether

their carrots are salad-worthy or

destined for fridge-foraged soup.

“We recently updated our

guidance on fresh uncut fruit

and vegetables to include the

recommendation that best-before

dates on fresh produce should

be removed, except for short-life

products and where there is a

limited time for consumption in

the home – even when stored at

optimum conditions – to encourage

consumers to use their judgment

and to reduce food waste,” says

Helen White, a WRAP special

advisor. “There’s been a bit of a

sea change around people using

their senses– andcommonsense.

People seem

with theirfo

It’s a shift

writers andr

have worked

hard to instig

Waitroseadv

its customers

“ignore best-

and sell-byd

and focusso

ensuringfoo

or frozen before the use-by date.

Jamie Oliver goes further on his

website, breaking down his advice

into food groups together with

useful use-up recipes. “You can’t

eat mouldy soft cheese, but it’s OK

to cut the mould off hard cheese,”

it states – advice that WRAP

echoes. “With items like hard

cheeses there are now more

best-before dates rather than

use-by dates because they’re

not perishable foods that are

unsafe to eat outside a certain

time frame,” White explains.

It sounds sensible, but this

adviceis stillcontingentonpeople

understandingthedifference.

Why dispense with dates on

oranges, then slap a best-before

date on comté, when both have

natural warning signs in the form

of hard skin and green fur?

White assures me that WRAP

is working hard to enlighten

consumers on the difference, as

well as spread the word on safe

food storage. “Storing most fresh

fruit, vegetables and salads in the

fridge (except bananas, onions,

pineapple and potatoes) at between

0°C and 5°C is the most simple,

accessible and effective method of

keeping food fresher for longer.”

Meanwhile, you and I need only

remember the following guide:

use-by dates are literally not to be

sniffed at (“we can’t see or smell

the bugs that can cause food

poisoning,” the FSA explains) but

best-beforedatesallow you to use

alongside sensory

sour smell or mouldy

e. Eggs are at the

’s discretion: “Our

vice is that you can

eatthem after the

best-before date as

long as you cook

them thoroughly,”

aysWhite: a discovery

atbodes well for my

estic felicity.

Best-before dates allow you to use your

initiative and sensory cues

PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES

TIPS FOR CUTTING

FOOD WASTE AT HOME

USE YOUR FREEZER

OYou might be amazed by what

you can freeze – and how late in

the day you can do so. WRAP’s

survey found 20 per cent of us

don’t think we can freeze eggs,

17 per cent don’t realise we can

freeze milk and 16 per cent

don’t know cheese and even

fruit can be frozen.

O With the exception of milk,

which should be frozen

immediately, you can freeze

all of the above – and meat and

fish – right up until the use-by

date. Eggs need to be lightly

whisked. Separated yolks and

whites left over from recipes can

also be frozen – in freezerproof

containers, labelled with the

number of eggs/whites/yolks

• and used within 3 months.
  O You can freeze potatoes, too:
  boil for 10 minutes, put the lid
  on the pan, shake to rough up
  the edges, then cool. Freeze
  on a tray, put into labelled
  containers, then keep in the
  freezer for up to 3 months.
  Defrost the night before roasting


• or roast in hot fat straight from
  the freezer, adding 10-15 minutes
  to the cooking time. Mashed
  potato also freezes like a dream.

CHECK YOUR FRIDGE

OLook inside before you go

shopping, so you don’t duplicate.

OCheck its temperature with a

thermometer. It should read 0°C

to 5°C. Most fridges are too

warm, which hastens spoilage.

CHECK YOUR EGGS ARE OK TO EAT

OIf you’re unsure about an egg’s

freshness, put it in a bowl of cold

water. A fresh egg will lie at the

bottom; a stale one will float

(discard). If it rises slightly, at

an angle, it’s past peak freshness

and needs thorough cooking.

Don’t eat eggs that smell off.

moreconnected

od.”

thatrecipe

retailers

d

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vises

s to

-before

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lelyon

od is cooked

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deliciousmagazine.co.uk 59

food for thought.