Shelf life Foods last longer

Foods usually last longer than the best before date promises

16.03.2012

While in many parts of the world people are dying of hunger every day, many in this country do not really feel hungry. Every year, one person in Germany throws an average of 82 kilos of food into the trash. With a total population of 82 million inhabitants, this amounts to approximately 6,724,000,000 pounds of food per year that ends up in waste. A large part of the actually valuable Müllberg could be avoided if people do not shop in excess and use food longer than the packaging is on the minimum date of use. Many people misunderstand the sell-by date.

Huge amounts of food are disposed of daily
Every year, Germans throw more than 6.7 tons of food into the household waste. According to this, every German citizen throws away about 82 kilograms of food per year. This was the result of a recent study by the University of Stuttgart. The researchers calculated that each person throws away about an average of 235 euros a year, because he no longer eats the purchased food. This results in a staggering total of about 21.6 billion euros per year, which lands in the Federal Republic in the garbage.

The researchers analyzed why over 50 percent of the discarded food could actually be avoided. It's worth it „especially with vegetables, fruits, eggs and dairy products“ take a closer look. Many consumers are not aware of the difference between the best-before date (BBD) and the use-by date. For products that are packaged, exceeding the best before date does not mean that the food is no longer edible. As a rule, if a packaged food is durable for a long time, it can be consumed for longer than the specified shelf life, as Rosemarie Weber of the „Network household“ explained. Enlightenment seems to be the best way to reduce future food waste in the face of these numbers. Because the shelf life of various foods can be prolonged if the purchase is structured overall and hygiene measures are observed.

Proper shopping reduces the disposal of food
Planning plays a big role before every purchase. Waste can be avoided if system purchases are carried out. Therefore, consumers should think carefully before each purchase what they really need. If a cooking recipe is planned, the ingredients should be on a list. In this context, Sinnig also has to consider which remaining ingredients can be used for a second dish the next day. Because the ingredients for a dish are often too much, they end up in the garbage. Most people are also guided by advertising and buy products that they will not eat at all later.

Good storage makes food last longer
An important aspect is the correct storage of food. In order to preserve vegetables and fruits longer, it should be stored dry, cool and dark. The refrigerator should be cleaned at continuous intervals. In particular, meat and sausages must be packed airtight, so that possible molds or germs can not spread.

After each preparation of food, the work surface must be cleaned after each work step. Vegetables and meat should always be prepared on different boards and with different kitchen knives.

Shelf life of meat, eggs and dairy products
Special care should always be taken with eggs and dairy products. However, these goods do not have to be disposed of immediately if the date of minimum durability has passed only a short time. Hardly anyone knows that in many cases yoghurts are still edible up to three weeks after the given date. This also applies to cheese products, especially hard cheeses, which are generally enjoyable for at least two weeks longer. If mold has already formed or if the color has changed, these foods should also be disposed of. But at least it's worth taking a look not to spill out food that's still tough.

Also sausage and meat is much longer lasting than stated. However, consumers should be a little more cautious when it comes to sausages and meat products because of the presence of bacteria. Raw meat such as minced meat should never be refrigerated for more than a day when eaten raw. If the meat has already changed its color, it seems greasy and smells easily of decay.

Meat and sausage products that are shrink-wrapped should be checked carefully. If the packaging is bloated, the decay process has already begun. On meat that is packaged, is the use-by date. Here is a difference to the minimum durability date! The date indicates, namely, when the meat should be eaten or prepared at the latest. If the usage date is exceeded, the meat should actually no longer be used, otherwise severe food poisoning threatens, which often end in diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

Eggs are best stored without a box in which the eggs were bought. Most refrigerators offer special places for eggs, these should be accommodated there. The reason: There are often germs on the eggs. If the eggs are stored in the box in the refrigerator, bacteria or fungi can spread to other foods. In addition, an egg should not be cleaned too thoroughly, as the shell forms a natural protection, so that pathogens can not penetrate. Then keep the eggs with conservation about 14 days. If the egg is no longer suitable for consumption, this is clear at the latest when whipping. The eggs then take on a foul-smelling smell. If the eggs are not broken, a simple home remedy test will help: Place the egg in a bowl of cold water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If it floats above, air has formed inside. Then the egg in the trash.

Fruit lasts longer than expected
Fruit lasts longer than expected. Even if bananas, pears or apples have already changed their color or are slightly mushy in some places, the fruit can still be eaten. Only when the fruit tastes sour or foul, it should not be consumed. If oranges are no longer nice to look at, juices can still be squeezed out of the fruits. If the skin is dry from the outside, oranges or tangerines do not taste anymore.

Beware of bloated cans
Preserves are very durable. However, if the contents of the can already bad, poisonous gases may arise. Thus, the lid of a can bloated, it should not be opened under any circumstances. Otherwise, the toxic gas soaks botulinum toxin, which can cause health damage by inhalation.

All of these examples show that food can still be used for a longer period of time, even if the minimum shelf life has been exceeded. Procurement precautions, adequate storage, and more food-handling care can relieve the burden on the household and avoid unnecessary waste. (Sb)

Read about:
Best before date is misunderstood
Supermarket smoked salmon burdened with germs

Picture: Gerd Altmann