Wastage of food is a matter of concern when one realizes that there are millions of people in many parts of the world who have to go to bed hungry due to their inability to access the required food because of many factors. Families in many affluent countries throw away good foods as a matter of habit without realizing the implications of such enormous wastes. It is not the argument that people should not enjoy a good meal as they have the right and the resources to access such foods but exercising moderation in buying foods can prevent such avoidable wastes. The labeling system that is mandatory for the industry to follow also contributes to food wastage in its own way because the warranty provisions imply that expired food products are not safe to eat. Some time back the food minister in the UK appealed to the consumers not to throw away foods just because the warranty period was over. But is it practical to expect the consumers to follow such appeals which fly in the face of the principle that expiry date is printed based on the perception of the manufacturer that all foods have definitive shelf life?. The logic in advocating use of date expired food is based on the fact that it only applies to the eating quality and not safety. Against such a backdrop, the initiative by a retired professor in the US to operate a web site that can be of help to consumers in clarifying many issues vis-à-vis food safety.
Somewhere along the path toward food safety, we often make a detour toward obsession. An obsession that compels us to throw out food before we really have to. And that, in turn, costs us money. Before we blame ourselves, let's not forget that the habit is enabled by all those "Use By" and "Sell By" and "God Forbid You Eat This AFTER" package label dates, not to mention recent headlines of good food gone bad. The challenge: How to be a food-savvy cheapskate versus a food-sickened cheapskate. A new Web site wants to help ShelfLifeAdvice.com delivers bushels of articles on the topic: how to store food, save food, clean food, freeze food and, yes, clarification of those dates on packaged and fresh foods. The brainchild of retired professor Ethel Tiersky and her son, Howard, the site also features links to lots of Web sites, and it has a board of advisers of food-safety pros from across the U.S. A recent lead article was titled, "Soft Cheese: A Delicious Delicacy or a Menace?"
Though such initiatives are welcome and the promoters are to be admired for their novel venture, how far it will solve the day to day problems faced by the consumers in handling processed foods is some what uncertain. Of course if the foods bought from the super markets are handled with care and caution they can definitely last much longer than the warranty date because shelf life of each and every food is determined under some standard conditions and projected for room conditions. In principle if foods are stored under low temperatures, their life can be extended significantly. Whether chemical spoilage or microbial growth, the rate of change in the food is slowed down considerably at lower temperatures, hence the longer shelf life. Ultimately the consumer will have to decide based on flavor and taste of the product to decide whether it is acceptable or not. Similarly most foods if heated beyond a temperature of 70C can be expected to be safe from pathogens.
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