Check it before you chuck it

Knowing how to tell whether food is really OFF or whether it can still BE SAVED is not only VITAL FOR YOUR HEALTH but will also help you on your ZERO-WASTE quest!

Test your eggs

To check an egg for freshness pop it into a glass of water. If it is fresh it will drop to the bottom and rest on its side. Standing on one end at the bottom means it’s a bit old but fine to eat. However, it the egg floats to the surface you should throw it away.

		Test your 			meat

Smell meat to check whether it’s safe to eat. Fresh meat should have little or no odour – if it smells putrid don’t eat it! Check the texture. If meat is slimy or sticky, bin it. Colour is not a good guide as meats vary – changes in shade don’t always mean that the meat is off.

Test your flour

Flour should have no smell at all. If your flour smells slightly sharp or bitter then it has gone off and you need to throw it away.

Test your oil

Most rancid oils have a grassy or paint-like scent. Olive oil is an exception and smells like crayons when spoiled.

Test your butter

To check whether your butter is fresh, cut a small slice from the block and look closely at the colour. The colour should be the same inside as on the outside. If the inside of the butter looks lighter it has oxidized and should be thrown away. You can always freeze butter if you aren’t going to use it in time.

Mould matters

If you can see mould on the surface of food it means tiny fungi have penetrated deep inside. What you can see on top are only the spores, but their microscopic, threadlike roots will have spread throughout the food. Just scraping mould off the top will leave these roots behind. In general, this means you must throw the food away as some fungi can make you ill. However, there are a few exceptions, which are shown here.