Use-by date ignorance poses big risk to health – regulator

MANY adults are ignoring use-by dates on food amid confusion about labelling or a preference for the “smell test”, putting themselves at risk of serious illness, a regulator has warned.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) found 50% of adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland do not always check the use-by date.

Three quarters (76%) have knowingly eaten food past its safe time limit and 37% admit to cooking food for other people that is past its use-by date.

The poll suggests consumers are confusing use-by dates with best before dates, which is a quality indicator that food eaten beyond this time might not taste as good.

Half of adults (50%) cannot correctly define the use-by date as the date up to when food can be eaten safely. Some 44% view them as a “useful guide” without realising the potential health risks of getting food poisoning.

More than three quarters of adults (77%) decide whether food is safe to eat by smelling it, which rises to 80% of women compared with 73% of men.

FSA chief scientific adviser Professor Robin May said: “These findings are worrying. They indicate that people are often confused about food dates, potentially putting themselves and others at risk of illness. A use-by date on food is there for a reason. It is about safety.

“After the use-by date you should not cook, freeze or eat the food, even if it smells or looks okay.

“It’s really not possible to tell whether food is safe to eat by smelling or tasting it. We would like everyone to take the use-by dates on their food seriously.”