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Letter to the Editor - Taste Magazine (15 May 2009)

15 May 2009

The Editor

Taste magazine

AUCKLAND

Editor,

In your column First Tastes: Tell me about…Freeganism (Taste, May 2009) you wrote that freegans feed themselves by taking food from supermarket dumpsters and that “the food may be past its best before date but is still edible”. I would like to stress that while it might be tempting to make a meal from the food others toss out, anybody who does so is putting themselves at risk of foodborne illness as well as those they share the food with.

Supermarkets throw away food for a range of good reasons. Often, the food is past its best-before or use-by date. Best-before dates relate to food quality – food generally loses some of its quality and taste if eaten after this date. Use-by dates are a marker for food safety – food should not be eaten and cannot be sold after this date.

Sometimes, food will be thrown out before it reaches these dates to clear shelf space for newer products, but that does not mean it is safe to consume once in the dumpster. Use-by and best-before dates are dependent on food being stored in the correct conditions. When taken out of these conditions, it starts to spoil. Also, once food is dumped, it is exposed to a range of hazards, including cross-contamination from other items and lack of refrigeration, as well as rats, flies and bacteria.

So although it may be tempting to make a meal out of the food your supermarket throws out, it’s simply not worth the risk.

Carol Barnao

Director (Standards)

New Zealand Food Safety Authority