Experts share tips on how to spot spoiled fresh produce — here’s everything you need to know!
- Replies 3
Do you ever worry that the fresh food items you buy, either from the supermarket or from your local farmers' markets, are past their use-by dates due to the lack of labels?
Well you no longer need to fret, as we have e some expert tips on how to tell if food is past its sell-by date by sight and smell.
Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, an app that links users to food outlets — such as restaurants and retailers — that have unsold food surplus in a bid for a zero food waste lifestyle, disclosed some of the misconceptions regarding the use-by date labels of food items.
He said: "10 per cent of food waste is over a misunderstanding of date labels."
"New research from anti-food waste app Too Good To Go has found that 50 per cent of people don't know that food past its Best Before label is safe to eat and this confusion is resulting in the average person t wasting over $538 worth of Best Before dated food each year."
"But as long as it has been stored properly and looks, smells and tastes okay, lots of food is safe to eat well past the best before date."
So, how does one spot if a specific food group is bad for consumption?
Different food groups have different indicators for their spoilage. Credit: Shutterstock/Elena Eryomenko.
1. Berries
Berries go bad faster than other fruits. Credit: Getty Images.
Jamie claimed that while berries "tend to spoil a little quicker" compared to other fruits, you can make them last longer by popping them in the freezer.
He explained: "You can tell if berries are going off as you'll start to see visible mould or signs of rotting. Look out for changes in colour too."
Jamie emphasised that a "wrinkly" skin is an indication that your berries should be consumed right away.
He advised: "If you notice the skin on your berries start to go wrinkly, it might not necessarily be rotten (unless you see any visible signs) but it's best to try and make sure you use them that day. While the taste may not be quite the same, they work perfectly for baking."
2. Green vegetables
You should look out for mould growth on your veggies. Credit: Getty Images.
"When vegetables are a few days old, they often lose their moisture and can turn a bit wilted. But this doesn't mean they're not good to eat!" he said.
Similar to berries, the presence of moulds on veggies is the most common sign that it is no longer good for consumption.
Additionally, you should inspect it for unpleasant smells and rotting flesh.
He advised: "A handy tip for reviving vegetables is to dunk them in ice-cold water for a few minutes."
'Vegetables like carrots, celery, lettuce and spring onions can all be brought back to life with this simple trick."
3. Milk
Milk should not be discarded once it gets past its best-by date. Credit: Getty Images.
It is no secret that milk is one of the food items that we immediately discard once it gets past its best-by date.
However, Jamie said that milk doesn't usually go bad after its best-by date as long as you store it properly and it doesn't have a lumpy texture nor a sour smell.
"Milk can still be good to eat and drink after the date shown so long as it is stored properly. It's easy to tell if it's gone off - check for a lumpy texture or a sour smell," he explained.
4. Yoghurt
Yoghurt is that one item that you should not worry about going bad for as long as you store them properly, according to the zero food waste advocate.
Jamie quipped: "While the texture and taste of yoghurt may change as time goes on, the acidic nature of the product means bad bacteria are kept at bay almost indefinitely - particularly if the yoghurt is unopened, and has been stored correctly."
"So if your yoghurt looks and smells okay, it should be perfectly safe to eat for several weeks past the Best Before date."
5. Eggs
You can do a simple test to check if your eggs are still safe to eat. Credit: Getty Images.
While it is unfortunate that one cannot check if the eggs are bad by simply looking and sniffing them, the method to see if they are spoiled is simple.
The quick test only requires consumers to place the eggs in a bowl of water and observe if they will float or sink.
Jamie said: "You can do a quick test by putting the eggs in a bowl of water. If they sink, they're still good to eat. But if they float, don't use them."
The entrepreneur also advised those people who are looking to keep their eggs fresh longer (so basically, all of us), suggesting: "Keeping your eggs in the fridge may increase their usability by up to three weeks past the Best Before date."
6. Hard cheese
We previously shared an article about the proper way of consuming cheese and it was stated there that consumers should not be scared of the presence of moulds in their cheese blocks.
Jamie also shared the same advice, saying that all you need to do is to cut off the surface with the mould if you encounter mould growth on your cheese.
He explained: "Avoid doing this with soft cheese though, as the spores from mould often pass through soft cheese quickly."
"Make sure you're keeping your cheese in the fridge to help it keep fresher for longer."
7. Bread
Unfortunately, bread with mould growth should immediately be discarded. Credit: Getty Images.
Freeletics, a fitness and lifestyle coaching app, training and nutrition specialist David Wiener said that you should inspect if there is mould growth on your bread as this indicates that it is bad for eating.
He explained: "However if the mould is only on one piece of bread, you MUST throw out the rest of the loaf as even if the mould isn't visible, it could still be contaminated in the early stages."
"Bread that has gone hard is still edible and acceptable to eat, as mould actually needs moisture to grow."
8. Fish
The smell is the primary indicator if the fish has gone bad. Credit: Getty Images.
It is no secret that one of the smelliest food items is fresh fish.
Having said that, the nutritionist claimed that the smell is the primary indicator if the fish has gone bad.
David explained: "Yes, fish will always have a fishy smell, but if that fishy smell is unbearable and ten times stronger than when you first bought it, it means the fish is no longer okay to eat."
"The fish will also become slimy and become slippery when you try to touch it."
"As a rule of thumb, when you buy fish you should aim to eat it as soon as possible and it is known for a short use-by date."
9. Cooked meat
Cooked meat products usually adhere to their best-by dates, so it is important to consume them by those dates.
However, David has some advice for those who have cooked meat items that are past their best-by dates.
He suggested: "If the use-by date has passed, one of the key takeaways to tell if the product is off is the smell because if meat gains a bad smell it means that bacteria and nastiness is growing inside."
"As soon as the smell is off, throw it away. Also, look out for change in texture and if the meat goes hard or slimy."
10. Uncooked meat
The primary indicators of the uncooked meat’s freshness include texture and smell. Credit: Getty Images.
David compared inspecting uncooked meat with fruits, saying that you should also keep an eye out for the changes in texture and smell.
He said: "When uncooked meats have gone bad, they will also become sticky or slimy depending on the meat."
"One common mistake is people throwing out meat when it has changed colour, but that doesn't mean it has gone bad and is actually very normal."
Do you know any other tips for spotting spoiled food? Share them with us in the comments below so other members of the SDC can use them too!
Well you no longer need to fret, as we have e some expert tips on how to tell if food is past its sell-by date by sight and smell.
Jamie Crummie, co-founder of Too Good To Go, an app that links users to food outlets — such as restaurants and retailers — that have unsold food surplus in a bid for a zero food waste lifestyle, disclosed some of the misconceptions regarding the use-by date labels of food items.
He said: "10 per cent of food waste is over a misunderstanding of date labels."
"New research from anti-food waste app Too Good To Go has found that 50 per cent of people don't know that food past its Best Before label is safe to eat and this confusion is resulting in the average person t wasting over $538 worth of Best Before dated food each year."
"But as long as it has been stored properly and looks, smells and tastes okay, lots of food is safe to eat well past the best before date."
So, how does one spot if a specific food group is bad for consumption?
Different food groups have different indicators for their spoilage. Credit: Shutterstock/Elena Eryomenko.
1. Berries
Berries go bad faster than other fruits. Credit: Getty Images.
Jamie claimed that while berries "tend to spoil a little quicker" compared to other fruits, you can make them last longer by popping them in the freezer.
He explained: "You can tell if berries are going off as you'll start to see visible mould or signs of rotting. Look out for changes in colour too."
Jamie emphasised that a "wrinkly" skin is an indication that your berries should be consumed right away.
He advised: "If you notice the skin on your berries start to go wrinkly, it might not necessarily be rotten (unless you see any visible signs) but it's best to try and make sure you use them that day. While the taste may not be quite the same, they work perfectly for baking."
2. Green vegetables
You should look out for mould growth on your veggies. Credit: Getty Images.
"When vegetables are a few days old, they often lose their moisture and can turn a bit wilted. But this doesn't mean they're not good to eat!" he said.
Similar to berries, the presence of moulds on veggies is the most common sign that it is no longer good for consumption.
Additionally, you should inspect it for unpleasant smells and rotting flesh.
He advised: "A handy tip for reviving vegetables is to dunk them in ice-cold water for a few minutes."
'Vegetables like carrots, celery, lettuce and spring onions can all be brought back to life with this simple trick."
3. Milk
Milk should not be discarded once it gets past its best-by date. Credit: Getty Images.
It is no secret that milk is one of the food items that we immediately discard once it gets past its best-by date.
However, Jamie said that milk doesn't usually go bad after its best-by date as long as you store it properly and it doesn't have a lumpy texture nor a sour smell.
"Milk can still be good to eat and drink after the date shown so long as it is stored properly. It's easy to tell if it's gone off - check for a lumpy texture or a sour smell," he explained.
4. Yoghurt
Yoghurt is that one item that you should not worry about going bad for as long as you store them properly, according to the zero food waste advocate.
Jamie quipped: "While the texture and taste of yoghurt may change as time goes on, the acidic nature of the product means bad bacteria are kept at bay almost indefinitely - particularly if the yoghurt is unopened, and has been stored correctly."
"So if your yoghurt looks and smells okay, it should be perfectly safe to eat for several weeks past the Best Before date."
5. Eggs
You can do a simple test to check if your eggs are still safe to eat. Credit: Getty Images.
While it is unfortunate that one cannot check if the eggs are bad by simply looking and sniffing them, the method to see if they are spoiled is simple.
The quick test only requires consumers to place the eggs in a bowl of water and observe if they will float or sink.
Jamie said: "You can do a quick test by putting the eggs in a bowl of water. If they sink, they're still good to eat. But if they float, don't use them."
The entrepreneur also advised those people who are looking to keep their eggs fresh longer (so basically, all of us), suggesting: "Keeping your eggs in the fridge may increase their usability by up to three weeks past the Best Before date."
6. Hard cheese
We previously shared an article about the proper way of consuming cheese and it was stated there that consumers should not be scared of the presence of moulds in their cheese blocks.
Jamie also shared the same advice, saying that all you need to do is to cut off the surface with the mould if you encounter mould growth on your cheese.
He explained: "Avoid doing this with soft cheese though, as the spores from mould often pass through soft cheese quickly."
"Make sure you're keeping your cheese in the fridge to help it keep fresher for longer."
7. Bread
Unfortunately, bread with mould growth should immediately be discarded. Credit: Getty Images.
Freeletics, a fitness and lifestyle coaching app, training and nutrition specialist David Wiener said that you should inspect if there is mould growth on your bread as this indicates that it is bad for eating.
He explained: "However if the mould is only on one piece of bread, you MUST throw out the rest of the loaf as even if the mould isn't visible, it could still be contaminated in the early stages."
"Bread that has gone hard is still edible and acceptable to eat, as mould actually needs moisture to grow."
8. Fish
The smell is the primary indicator if the fish has gone bad. Credit: Getty Images.
It is no secret that one of the smelliest food items is fresh fish.
Having said that, the nutritionist claimed that the smell is the primary indicator if the fish has gone bad.
David explained: "Yes, fish will always have a fishy smell, but if that fishy smell is unbearable and ten times stronger than when you first bought it, it means the fish is no longer okay to eat."
"The fish will also become slimy and become slippery when you try to touch it."
"As a rule of thumb, when you buy fish you should aim to eat it as soon as possible and it is known for a short use-by date."
9. Cooked meat
Cooked meat products usually adhere to their best-by dates, so it is important to consume them by those dates.
However, David has some advice for those who have cooked meat items that are past their best-by dates.
He suggested: "If the use-by date has passed, one of the key takeaways to tell if the product is off is the smell because if meat gains a bad smell it means that bacteria and nastiness is growing inside."
"As soon as the smell is off, throw it away. Also, look out for change in texture and if the meat goes hard or slimy."
10. Uncooked meat
The primary indicators of the uncooked meat’s freshness include texture and smell. Credit: Getty Images.
David compared inspecting uncooked meat with fruits, saying that you should also keep an eye out for the changes in texture and smell.
He said: "When uncooked meats have gone bad, they will also become sticky or slimy depending on the meat."
"One common mistake is people throwing out meat when it has changed colour, but that doesn't mean it has gone bad and is actually very normal."
Do you know any other tips for spotting spoiled food? Share them with us in the comments below so other members of the SDC can use them too!
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