Home Food Facts on World Food Safety Day

With more people eating at home, East Staffordshire Borough Council is supporting World Food Safety Day on the 7th June to help you to make the most of your food at home.

Cllr Bernard Peters, Deputy Leader for Community and Regulatory Support said: ‘In the current circumstances more of us are cooking at home, this World Food Safety Day we want to help you make the most of the contents of your cupboards and fridges in a safe way. So, we have worked with the Food Standards Agency to answer some of the safety questions you may have.

Peter Quigley, Head of Chemical Safety Policy at the Food Standards Agency, said: ‘Food safety is everyone’s business. As part of my role, I answer all sorts of questions about food safety, so we’ve pulled together some of the ones we get asked most frequently. We hope that our home food facts, help you to avoid throwing away good food unnecessarily.’

Here are five of your top food safety questions answered, to help you make your food go further:

When eggs float are they bad?

Don’t use the egg float test to determine safety. Eggs are safe to eat for a couple of days after the best before date, as long as they are cooked thoroughly.

Is food safe if the can has a dent in it?

If the dent on the can is shallow and there are no other obvious signs that the can is damaged (such as the can expanding or leaking) your food should remain fit to eat.

How long can you safely eat rice for after cooking?

Make sure you cool rice down as quickly as possible after cooking and get it in the fridge within 2 hours. Keep rice in the fridge for no more than one day. When you reheat rice always check the dish is steaming hot all the way through.

Can you eat potatoes when they start to sprout?

Remove any sprouts on potatoes before using them and remember to cut off any green or rotten bits.

Can you eat brown bananas?

Fruit or vegetables that are a bit overripe, such as wrinkly carrots, brown bananas and slightly mushy strawberries can be eaten normally (providing they are not mouldy). Alternatively, they can be used in cooking, baking or smoothies.

 

For more information, please visit our home food facts page here.