Page 59 - Delicious - UK (February 2020)
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food for thought.
on the quality of the jam”. or frozen before the use-by date.
It’s a classic example of the Jamie Oliver goes further on his TIPS FOR CUTTING
confusion surrounding use-by website, breaking down his advice FOOD WASTE AT HOME
and best-before labels. The theory into food groups together with
is simple: ‘use by’ (and ‘consume useful use-up recipes. “You can’t USE YOUR FREEZER
within’) dates are about food safety, eat mouldy soft cheese, but it’s OK O You might be amazed by what
while ‘best before’ is an indicator to cut the mould off hard cheese,” you can freeze – and how late in
of quality only. Yet the 2017 food it states – advice that WRAP the day you can do so. WRAP’s
waste report from the National echoes. “With items like hard survey found 20 per cent of us
Federation of Women’s Institutes cheeses there are now more don’t think we can freeze eggs,
(NFWI) found that just 45 per cent best-before dates rather than 17 per cent don’t realise we can
of respondents understood what use-by dates because they’re freeze milk and 16 per cent
these terms meant. not perishable foods that are don’t know cheese and even
The NFWI’s survey followed unsafe to eat outside a certain fruit can be frozen.
findings by the government’s waste time frame,” White explains. O With the exception of milk,
advisory body, WRAP, which It sounds sensible, but this which should be frozen
reported that UK households waste advice is still contingent on people immediately, you can freeze
all of the above – and meat and
Best-before dates allow you to use your fish – right up until the use-by
initiative and sensory cues date. Eggs need to be lightly
whisked. Separated yolks and
5 million tonnes of edible food understanding the difference. whites left over from recipes can
annually. These findings prompted Why dispense with dates on also be frozen – in freezerproof
Tesco to remove ‘best before’ dates oranges, then slap a best-before containers, labelled with the
on 70 of its fresh fruit and vegetable date on comté, when both have number of eggs/whites/yolks
products, so that now it’s up to natural warning signs in the form – and used within 3 months.
the customer to decide whether of hard skin and green fur? O You can freeze potatoes, too:
their carrots are salad-worthy or White assures me that WRAP boil for 10 minutes, put the lid
destined for fridge-foraged soup. is working hard to enlighten on the pan, shake to rough up
“We recently updated our consumers on the difference, as the edges, then cool. Freeze
guidance on fresh uncut fruit well as spread the word on safe on a tray, put into labelled
and vegetables to include the food storage. “Storing most fresh containers, then keep in the
recommendation that best-before fruit, vegetables and salads in the freezer for up to 3 months.
dates on fresh produce should fridge (except bananas, onions, Defrost the night before roasting
be removed, except for short-life pineapple and potatoes) at between – or roast in hot fat straight from
products and where there is a 0°C and 5°C is the most simple, the freezer, adding 10-15 minutes
limited time for consumption in accessible and effective method of to the cooking time. Mashed
the home – even when stored at keeping food fresher for longer.” potato also freezes like a dream.
optimum conditions – to encourage Meanwhile, you and I need only
consumers to use their judgment remember the following guide: CHECK YOUR FRIDGE
and to reduce food waste,” says use-by dates are literally not to be O Look inside before you go
Helen White, a WRAP special sniffed at (“we can’t see or smell shopping, so you don’t duplicate.
advisor. “There’s been a bit of a the bugs that can cause food O Check its temperature with a
sea change around people using poisoning,” the FSA explains) but thermometer. It should read 0°C
their senses – and common sense. best-before dates allow you to use to 5°C. Most fridges are too
People seem more connected your initiativ alongside sensory warm, which hastens spoilage.
with their food.” cues such as sour smell or mouldy
It’s a shift that recipe appear e. Eggs are at the CHECK YOUR EGGS ARE OK TO EAT
writers and r retailers eate ’s discretion: “Our O If you’re unsure about an egg’s
vice is that you can
have worked d eat them after the freshness, put it in a bowl of cold
hard to instig gate.
water. A fresh egg will lie at the
PHOTOGRAPHS: GETTY IMAGES its customers s to s ays White: a discovery (discard). If it rises slightly, at
best-before date as
bottom; a stale one will float
Waitrose adv vises
long as you cook
“ignore best- -before
them thoroughly,”
an angle, it’s past peak freshness
and sell-by d dates”
and needs thorough cooking.
Don’t eat eggs that smell off.
at bodes well for my
and focus solely on
ensuring foo od is cooked
estic felicity.
do
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