How long is too long to store food in the fridge?
OPINION
Q: I am really conscious of food waste – for sustainability reasons and also the cost-of-living crisis. So, what is the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates?
A: Even though I have never been sick from expired food and have buckets of great advice on how to reduce food waste, I need to tell you that I am not a food scientist or expert.
This is important to disclaim as expired food can cause all sorts of horrible ailments and it’s something to take seriously. With that said, I’ve observed that some people are far too risk averse when it comes to old food.
I know households that don’t even save dinner leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. The thought frightens me from both a financial and environmental perspective.
The most important things to keep in mind when considering food safety are understanding labels and storing foods optimally. Let’s start with food labels. The biggest myth to bust is “Best Before” dates determining a product’s lifespan.
Best Before dates are simply the company telling you when the food product will lose quality and stop tasting its best. A Best Before date has nothing to do with when the product is not safe to eat.
I am writing this while a tub of yoghurt sits in my fridge reading Best Before 16 days ago. It smells absolutely fine, tastes good with a tiny taste check, and hasn’t changed appearance.
I use smell and appearance to guide my eating habits and I often run my decision past other people in my household for a second opinion. This strategy has saved me money, stopped edible food from ending up in the compost, and kept me well.
“Use By” dates are different. Take these ones seriously. Food with Use By dates can become unsafe to eat before it’s visibly spoiled or off. It’s also illegal to sell food past its Use By date.
Moving on to storage, your fridge and freezer are key tools in your mission to save food. There is useful information on food safety at home on the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
I always reheat food incredibly well with a microwave, hob, or oven – and if I know I won’t eat them within a couple of days, I freeze them.
You can freeze most things and reheat them when you need them. You’ll find blanched spinach from my garden, sprigs of coriander, pre-cooked meals, and bags full of frozen bananas in my freezer.
Be careful when dabbling in the art of leftovers and older foods. But for the sake of the environment and your precious pennies, don’t fall into the trap of throwing away food before smelling and observing.