If you're one of those cautious people who throw away food because it's only a few days past its expiry date, it's time to take a closer look at what the dates on the packages actually mean, in order to prevent unnecessary waste. food.

Almost every product has a "use by" or "best before" label on it, but do you know exactly what that means?

As an example, we will take milk as one of the most common products consumed daily in the world. Did you know that product packaging does not give us any indication of food safety? The date on the milk packaging actually indicates the last date when the milk is expected to be of top quality.

Lindsay Pasieka, Consumer Safety researcher, for Business Insider magazine, explains that product dates are placed to remind when the product should leave the shelves in the market, and this does not mean that it should immediately end up in the trash.

For many, "useable by" is an essential marketing requirement. This allows manufacturers to tell consumers when is the last expected day that the product will have the expected peak freshness. Dates do not indicate when the product will spoil.

Back to milk, the ideal temperature for storing milk is 3 to 4 degrees Celsius. Any unopened package of milk should be able to be consumed 5 to 10 days after the intended date (depending on the type of milk). If the package is opened, it can last four to seven days after the date on the package, if left at room temperature, experts recommend throwing it away after 2 hours.

Have you thought about the milk "sitting" in the door of your refrigerator? Well, move it to the back of the fridge. Although it fits perfectly in the door compartments, you shouldn't store it there anyway. The continuous opening of the refrigerator door leads to a very frequent change in temperature, which also leads to faster spoilage. Instead, store milk as far away from the refrigerator door as possible.

Of course, you can also use your senses. Regardless of the date, milk that has a sour taste or begins to change texture or thickness – is no longer usable. But nothing serious will happen to you if you accidentally try it on and find that it is not in "best shape".

Rolf Haldane, an environmental engineer and researcher from the United States says that “humans have an innate ability to sense problems related to food, ranging from appearance to smell and tactile traces. While this isn't perfect, it allows our food to quickly end up in the trash."

According to the constant appeals and analyzes of hunger worldwide, it is recommended to buy products conscientiously, buy only as much as you really need. Do not throw away food!