Your nose can tell you a lot. But it can be fooled, too. Milk can smell dodgy when you sniff the carton. But that’s because gases collect on top of the liquid. It may be fine if you pour it into a jug.
Use your eyes too. Vegetables that are beginning to go yellow, or meat that’s losing its bright red colour, need eating — but care must of course be taken.
Shop better. Buy for meals that you’ve planned, and resist buy one, get one free offers — many of which end up being thrown away.
Be wise about “use by”. Many foods can be safely eaten after use-by dates. Bread — which accounts for 24 per cent of the food we throw out — can be revived by warming or toasting. Tired vegetables will be fine in stews or soups — as will meat, too, so long as you cook it well. An egg past its use-by date should not be eaten soft-cooked, but it should be fine in a cake. But, as with meat or fish, if in doubt don’t take the risk.
Store things properly. Some things, such as bananas, eggs and potatoes, don’t need a fridge. It will dry bread out. But apples and vegetables do better in there. Your fridge should be between 0C and 5C — colder or warmer will spoil food.
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Many best-before dates can be ignored, especially on unopened tins. And food preserved in oil, vinegar or with alcohol can last indefinitely. If you’ve got a jar of open pesto, for example, top it up with a little olive oil so that none of the food is exposed to the air.
Vacuum-pack opened foods. Air-tight boxes are good. If you use cling film on a bowl, push the film down to exlude all the air.
More tips on avoiding food waste can be found at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com