Watch out what you eat

health

Generally, people don’t carefully check the expiry date on food items before buying; the consequences of consuming such food can lead to health complications. You! takes a look...

So, you want to make pasta today but all your joy vanishes when you find that packet of pasta and see that the ‘use by’ date has expired. It certainly spoils your dinner plan. As a busy runner, it’s hard to keep track of what’s in your packaged food stockpile. And while you don’t want to waste food, the quality of your next run depends on whether you eat something spoiled. And yes, you can read the food labels.

Many a time when we buy any food items, we end up buying those which have crossed their expiry date. These dates are important since they indicate how long food can be kept before it begins to deteriorate or may become unsafe to eat. Take note of dates that say use by or “exp” - expiry date - they’re labelled that way for a reason. They’re not safe to eat beyond that date and definitely should be thrown out. They may not turn mouldy black and green or look poisonous the day beyond the expiry date, but that date indicates when the food will start to turn bad.

Foodstuffs that have gone beyond expiration date may cause severe irritation and infections including physical discomfort such as stomach upset which might or might not be accompanied by vomiting. It is true that food contamination and bad bacteria can cause food poisoning too. It’s especially dangerous for people with chronic illnesses, like diabetes or history of heart disease, and seniors, all who may have weaker immune systems that can fight off dangerous bacteria.

Checking the expiry date is very important and; it saves you from buying products that are expired. It can also prevent you from putting your health at risk as a result of consuming expired products.

Prevention is better than cure:

One has to make sure that the product has an expiring date. Foods that have passed its expiry date have no nutritional value. Traders at times tend to rub off the label of the expiry date. If there is no expiry or manufacturing date, then you are better off not buying the product. Reading the product label can save one from future health problems.

Food preparation and handling can be risky enough, so why add to the danger by eating expired food? There’s a common misconception that the refrigerator is like a safety deposit box for ultimate safe-keeping. Things that go in are good and safe, and no harm could come from eating them. And once things go in the freezer, well, they’re good for years... Not true!

As a healthy habit, make an effort to go through your fridge every week to discard unsafe bets, and place new purchases of frozen foods at the back of your freezer, moving older items forward to use first. Anything more processed, like canned goods, frozen foods, dried pasta, are designed for a lengthy shelf life, if they’ve been handled and packaged safely.

Fresher foods, like the whole foods we all should be eating most, are ones of which you need to be careful: eggs, meat and poultry, fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts. These pose the most serious threats, regardless of their appearance or odour.

Best Before & Expiry dates:

Checking the ‘best before’ and ‘expiry date’ labels on foods, from milk and cheese to bread and meats, is one of the first things consumers should do before throwing them in their grocery carts.

But what do these labels mean? Sometimes it is hard to tell what the dates and labels actually mean. There is often confusion between best before date and expiry date that appears in the label. So, what is the difference?

What does Best Before mean? The best before date indicates the date till which the food will be at its best quality in terms of its taste and the nutrients it provides, and the food may still be eaten after the date has passed, but its quality may have begun to degrade. The foods mostly sold in the tinned or packed form usually bear this date

What does Expiry Date mean? Expiry date means the date till which the food or some product sold in peripheral package is completely safe to eat but unlike Best Before date, the product is not safe to eat after the expiry date. Once the expiry date is reached, the food becomes unhealthy for consumption and could instead result in health problems such as food poisoning. It is strictly advised to avoid eating products which are nearing their expiry date and especially products that have reached the expiry date. In short, Best Before Date is an indication of quality , while Expiry Date indicates the safety of the food item to be consumed.

Safety tips:

• Foods should be refrigerated within two hours of purchase (sometimes sooner) for a best-before date to be valid. Refrigeration slows down but does not stop bacterial growth, so food can still go bad. Some food can be frozen to keep beyond its best-before date, but how long it can be safely frozen depends on the type of food and its ingredients.
  
• To keep your food safe, it’s important to make sure that refrigerated food doesn’t spend too much time in warmer temperatures, which make it more susceptible to bacteria growth. Certain foods like ‘ready to eat’ dishes, infant formula and baby food should be consumed promptly.
  
• When it comes to your fridge, you need to pay close attention to the labels. Check your deli meats, unpasteurised dairy products, ready-to-eat refrigerated foods. If you’re seriously questioning an item in the fridge, it’s probably best to toss it.