Grubby habits in the kitchen put Ireland’s health at risk

DO you ignore the use-by date on the food you buy?

You are not alone, according to Ireland’s food safety watchdog. Nearly half of us do not pay full attention to the warnings.

More than seven in ten people (72%) say they have eaten food past its use-by date, but 89% of people say food is as safe, or safer, now than it was five years ago, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has found.

However, people admitted risky behaviour in food handling at home. As well as many ignoring use-by dates, 62% admit leaving leftovers to cool out of the fridge overnight, to eat in the next couple of days, with nearly half the population (49%) storing food in the fridge without any wrapping.

More and more people rely on convenience food with over eight out of ten (84%) saying they buy ready-to-eat or pre-prepared food from the supermarket. Some 36% buy these at least weekly or more frequently.

And almost one in five use fast food chains (16%) or independent takeaways (17%) at least once a week.

Dr Pamela Byrne, chief of the FSAI, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, said: ‘Our new strategy sets out the FSAI’s direction over the next five years to continue to be an effective state agency putting consumer health protection at the centre of all our activities.

‘Research, evidence and science are critical to deepening our knowledge of the known risks and in identifying emerging risks to food safety and integrity. This, in turn, enables us to manage the risks to consumers and their health accordingly.’

The Food Safety Authority was established in 1999 and at that time it was the first food safety authority in Europe and it came under the auspices of the Department of Health.

Over the past 20 years, other member states have emulated the FSAI’s model and established similar competent authorities.

The FSAI is an active participant at EU level both in terms of engaging and in terms of providing advice via the European Food Safety Authority.

It is also an important agency in an EU-wide rapid alert system for monitoring, notifying and reacting swiftly to food safety issues to protect consumer health. christian.mccashin@dailymail.ie

72% eat food past sell-by date