1 day Ago By News Desk
A consumer survey has revealed dangerous behaviors such as sniffing food to see if it is safe to consume and eating products after their shelf life has expired. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey was conducted between April and July 2024, and 5,526 adults from 3,908 households across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland took part. Three-quarters of respondents said they would rely on the sniff test to assess whether raw meat is safe to eat or cook with.
A further 73 percent would rely on this test for milk and yoghurt, and this figure was 65 percent for fish. More than 70 percent of participants would eat bagged salad or cheese after the use-by date, while about 6 in 10 would eat yogurt, milk, or cooked meats after this date. FSA advice, for foods with a use-by date, is that the sniff test is not an appropriate method to know whether food is safe to eat or cook.
This is because food can look and smell fine even after the shelf life date has passed, but the product will not be safe and could cause food poisoning because of harmful bacteria. The survey also found that around 4 in 10 respondents wash raw fish or seafood or raw chicken at least occasionally when preparing it. FSA recommends that people do not wash raw meat, fish or poultry, because doing this can splash harmful bacteria onto hands, work surfaces, ready-to-eat foods, and cooking equipment.
Seventy percent reported that they always wash their hands before preparing or cooking food and 92 percent always wash their hands immediately after handling raw meat, poultry, or fish. An analysis of results from July 2020 to January 2024 found a decline in those who reported always washing their hands before eating from 51 percent to 41 percent and an increase in people who wash raw chicken at least occasionally from 35 percent to 40 percent. Consumer confidence In the latest survey, 59 percent of respondents who have a fridge correctly reported that the temperature should be between 0 and 5 degrees C (32 to 41 degrees F).
Most consumers always check use-by dates before they cook or prepare food and more than 80 percent said they would only reheat leftover food once, in line with FSA guidance. Almost 90 percent were confident that the food they buy is safe to eat and 69 percent had confidence in the food supply chain. Most people had heard of the FSA and 69 percent of respondents, who had at least some knowledge of the agency, reported they trusted it to make sure food is safe and what it says it is.
Three-quarters of participants were confident that the FSA takes appropriate action if a food-related risk is identified, and 70 percent were confident that the agency is committed to communicating openly with the public about food-related risks. Trust and confidence in the FSA saw a gradual decline from 2021 to 2024 but distrust in the agency remained low. The most common concerns related to food production methods, nutrition and health, food safety and hygiene and the quality of food.
From a list of options, the most common concern was food prices. Concerns about foodborne illness have increased over the years from 38 percent to 54 percent. “There are around 2.
4 million recorded cases of foodborne illness in the UK every year, but by following the FSA’s food hygiene advice on cooking, cleaning, chilling and cross-contamination, you can reduce the risk of you or your family becoming unwell,” said Katie Pettifer, FSA chief executive. (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here ).
