Mouldy or out-of-date food

No food lasts forever in perfect condition, however well it is stored. Bacteria and yeast moulds within the food start to multiply and digest the food. This is the first stage of decomposition. All our food storage methods (whether its kept in the fridge, freezer, or canned, pickled or bottled) aim to stop this process happening, but none are completely perfect at stopping decomposition forever.

mouldy and out of date tomatoes

Best before vs Use by dates

Most foods carry either a “use by” or a “best before” date, or both.

  • Best before date: refers to the quality of food, and are often present on foods with a longer life. They show how long it is predicted the food will be at its best. You can eat food that is past its best before date as it isn’t dangerous, but it may have lost some flavour or not be the right texture.
  • Use by: this date refers to food safety, so food and drink should not be consumed after this date. The food might look or smell OK but it might not be safe to eat.
  • If it feels, looks and smells OK …then it probably is. Our noses are really clever at telling when food has gone off!

Mouldy lemon

Mouldy food: How much is there?

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) estimates almost half (41%) of the 6.6 million tonnes of good food thrown away in our homes every year could be avoided if we used it up in time.

If food does go mouldy before you can eat it, please pop it in your food waste collection bin. For more information about using your food waste collection click here.   

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