A very simple gesture that can translate into savings in the shopping cart, which is especially interesting in times of inflation, is to check the expiration date of food. There are those who do not do it for a simple reason: not knowing what these dates that are printed on the packaging indicate. The most common are the expiration date and the best before date, although the secondary one also appears in many products. Do you know what each of them consists of? Or are you throwing food when you shouldn't?
The first has no secret. When the food reaches the expiration date, it should go straight to the trash. "This is so because when the designated day has passed, there is a risk of microorganisms growing in the product," warns Lluís Riera, director of the Saia consultancy and food technologist. Surely more than one is thinking: what if only one day has passed? "Well, it depends on the product. The food industry calculates the date with a margin of safety. In the case of meat, for example, it takes into account that it is possible to walk around the supermarket for a while at room temperature and without an isothermal bag that protects it. Nothing should happen for a day, but it's better to consume it before."
If the next question is whether we can freeze the meat after the expiration date, the answer is the same. "Better to store it in the freezer within the period specified by the manufacturer, that includes the day the product expires," says the expert. The expiration date is on highly perishable foods such as fresh fish, minced meat or chicken wings. They all have a short life and deteriorate easily, so it is also important to pay attention to conservation instructions, such as the degrees to which they should be refrigerated.
The best before date, on the other hand, does not indicate when the food expires. "This indicates the moment in which the product begins to lose quality," explains Riera. Yogurt is a clear example of why a food that has the best before date should not be discarded. "When it exceeds that day, it does not mean that it is in bad shape, but that its qualities begin to change and are not what the manufacturer likes. In the case of natural yogurt, microorganisms consume lactose, and that causes the product present more lactic acid, which can contribute a more sour taste, although its ingestion is not dangerous".
Despite what has been explained, these products also deteriorate. It must be the consumer who, after some time after the expiration of the best-before date, confirms that he can eat it. The Catalan Food Safety Agency (ACSA) recommends testing the food and checking that its taste, smell or appearance are not altered once opened. And he adds that in these products, which must also be stored as specified by the manufacturer, they usually present another date that indicates the days it lasts when the original container has already been altered.
Foods that usually include the best before date are frozen, dry products such as pasta and rice, preserves, oil or chocolate. This is the approximate time each one lasts, according to the ACSA:
The last date that you have to know is the secondary, which has already been mentioned in previously. It is the one that informs about the days that the product can be eaten once opened without posing a danger to health. "A closed mustard is not the same as an open one," Riera insists. The moment the container is altered, you must check where it should go, whether in the fridge or the pantry (information on the label), and the days it will last in this state. "Most of these products can be left in the original packaging, with the exception of cans," concludes the expert.
Other aspects that it is important to take into account to extend the life of food (or rather, not shorten it) are to keep them orderly in the fridge, placing the most contaminants – that is, those that can give off juices or deteriorate faster and contaminate others. products– on lower shelves or avoid placing fresh items such as eggs and milk on the fridge door. To easily know which ones are going to expire sooner, another option may be to place those that are about to go bad in front of the newest products, so we will prioritize their consumption.
