What People Get Wrong About Reducing Food Waste
Reducing Food Waste: what people commonly get wrong, set against what published UK guidance says.
UK households throw away a substantial share of the food they buy, which is the same as throwing away part of the food budget.
Key takeaways
- Use-by date: a safety date; do not eat after it
- Best-before date: a quality date; food is usually safe after it
- Most useful single change: Keep the fridge at 5C or below and check it with a thermometer.
- Commonest mistake: Eating anything past its use-by date.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What the guidance actually says
The numbers first, since the corrections only mean something against them.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Use-by date | a safety date; do not eat after it |
| Best-before date | a quality date; food is usually safe after it |
| Fridge temperature | 0-5C |
| Freezing | possible up to the use-by date, not after |
| Most wasted foods in UK homes | bread, milk and potatoes |
Where people go wrong
These are widely believed and not supported by the guidance above.
- Eating anything past its use-by date
- Overfilling the fridge, which stops cold air circulating
- Confusing best-before with use-by
What to do instead
- Keep the fridge at 5C or below and check it with a thermometer
- Freeze bread and milk, both of which freeze well
- Plan meals around what needs using first
- Store fruit and vegetables as the packaging advises
The part that is genuinely uncertain
Guidance changes, and it changes because evidence does. The figures above reflect current UK guidance from the bodies named at the foot of this page; where those bodies revise their position, theirs is the account to follow rather than this one.
Where to go next
- A Q and A on Reducing Food Waste
- Reducing Food Waste: The Quick Reference
- Reducing Food Waste — the reference entry
- What the Guidance Really Says About Cooking Methods
- Breakfast: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Never eat food past its use-by date, and never refreeze food that has been thawed unless you have cooked it in between. Contact NHS 111 for vomiting or diarrhoea lasting more than a couple of days, blood in stool, or signs of dehydration.
Where this comes from
- Food Standards Agency — food safety at home
- NHS — How to store food and leftovers
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
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