Most food items we buy carry an expiry date . That is the cut off
date, after which the producer can’t be blamed if the food item you
buy turns unfit for human consumption. Publication of the expiry date
is statutory, and in many food labels you also find a ‘Best-before’
date of consumption. Which, according to Green activist Michael Bloch,
means, simply, that the item (according to the manufacturer) tastes
best before that date. “I have no problem with swallowing stuff that is
past the best before date and (so far) I’ve never had a single case of
food poisoning”, Bloch says in Green Living Tips
website. He adds: “I often wonder if the ‘best before’ date is a ruse
from the food industry to have us chucking out more and then buying
more”.
The green activist’s tips for cutting down our food waste:
1) Check your fridge weekly and bring foods that will expire soon to the front
2) Ditto for your food cupboards.
3) Bulk buying can save you money, but it can cost you more, if you buy too much of items with a short use-by date or the ones that lose favor with your family.
4) It’s not unusual to find packets of chips with just a handful left, or just a swallow of orange juice left in the container.It usually sits there until it’s thrown out.
5) Supermarkets are designed to get you buying more that what you originally came in for.
6) Don’t shop from memory….cannot remember all the things you need….results in buying too much of some items and not enough of some others – and waste sometimes occurs.
7) Leaving packets open, refrigerating stuff that doesn’t require it and vice versa speeds up food spoilage.
8) Some meals you make seem to generate more waste than others. That’s fine if leftovers can be eaten the next day…or else, you need to slowly reduce the amount you cook.
9) Use the Internet….whatever it is you have too much of in the food cupboard that’s likely to be tossed out …you could find a squillion recipes for online!
10) Even after following the foregoing points you might end up with some waste – and also unavoidables such as veg. peelings. Compost or worm farm kitchen waste.
Cross-filed from My Take by GVK
The green activist’s tips for cutting down our food waste:
1) Check your fridge weekly and bring foods that will expire soon to the front
2) Ditto for your food cupboards.
3) Bulk buying can save you money, but it can cost you more, if you buy too much of items with a short use-by date or the ones that lose favor with your family.
4) It’s not unusual to find packets of chips with just a handful left, or just a swallow of orange juice left in the container.It usually sits there until it’s thrown out.
5) Supermarkets are designed to get you buying more that what you originally came in for.
6) Don’t shop from memory….cannot remember all the things you need….results in buying too much of some items and not enough of some others – and waste sometimes occurs.
7) Leaving packets open, refrigerating stuff that doesn’t require it and vice versa speeds up food spoilage.
8) Some meals you make seem to generate more waste than others. That’s fine if leftovers can be eaten the next day…or else, you need to slowly reduce the amount you cook.
9) Use the Internet….whatever it is you have too much of in the food cupboard that’s likely to be tossed out …you could find a squillion recipes for online!
10) Even after following the foregoing points you might end up with some waste – and also unavoidables such as veg. peelings. Compost or worm farm kitchen waste.
Cross-filed from My Take by GVK
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