We’ve been on a crusade against waste since the beginning.
So when we hear that in Australia four million tonnes of food ends up in landfill every year, we know we’re fighting the right battle.
For some baffling reason however, supermarket giants have been lead to believe that we only like b-e-a-utiful fruit and veg, so they throw out a whopping 20 to 40 per cent of fresh produce before it even reaches the shelves – simply because it’s not “pretty” enough!
We love seeing the likes of Imperfect Picks sections pop up at supermarkets, helping to tackle the waste issue – not to mention they can be up to 50 per cent cheaper. Cha-ching!
But, what’s even more confusing to us, is when people throw out perfectly good food because the best before date says it’s “off”.
So, what even is a “best before” date?
The best before date simply indicates that the product isn’t at its peak, and the manufacturer can’t guarantee the quality after this date. So, while the texture may be a little different to when it was first packaged, it can be totally safe to eat. Even Food Standards Australia New Zealand says that, “You can still eat foods for a while after the best before date as they should be safe”. Products can still be sold after this date, so keep your eyes peeled at your supermarket and you’ll be able to nab some bargains!
What is a “use by” date?
After this date, food shouldn’t be consumed because it’s no longer deemed to be safe. And, products can’t be legally sold after this date either. The most common products with a “use by” date are meat and some dairy products.
But, we did our own little experiment…
We wanted to see how much life fresh produce still had in them after the so-called “best before” date. So, we bought a punnet of cherry tomatoes and snapped some pics of them on the day we bought them, the day of the “best before” recommendation, and finally – 22 days later. Here are the results…
Despite being three weeks past their best before date, they were still totally delish (albeit a little soft and a tad wrinkly) – we even cooked them up in the office for lunch.
The bottom line is… help combat food waste by always buying that ugly veg, and don’t throw food out just because the “best before” date said so!
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