UK food watchdog cautions against ignoring use-by dates on foodstuff

Consumers looking to save money may be risking their health and inviting food poisoning by ignoring use-by dates on food, the UK food watchdog Food Standards Agency (FSA) said following a research it conducted recently.

In an effort cut on their food bill and extend the period over which they could consume food items, many people are also keeping leftovers for longer than the recommended limit of two days in the fridge.

The poll conducted by the FSA showed that among those questioned, 97 per cent believed the cost of their typical shopping basket had risen significantly over the past three years, with 47 per cent  trying to make better use of leftover food.

The research has also revealed that people were also risking food poisoning by disregarding use-by dates more than they used to. The date, which is considered to be most important on the food label, is also said to be more meaningful than "best before" or "display until". The date is carried on foods that can rapidly  become unsafe such as chilled or ready-to-eat foods.

As the Food Safety Week opens, the FSA is reminding people not to take risks with food safety, with budgets under squeeze.

According to Bob Martin, a food safety expert at the FSA, with most people seeing their weekly shopping bills increase over the last few years, people were still looking for ways to get the most out of their shopping budget, and using leftover food was a good way of making their meals go further. He added that unless people  were careful, there was a chance of risking food poisoning by not storing or handling food properly.