The custard powder that stood the test of time
When David Watson found a tin of custard powder that "expired" more than 15 years ago at the back of his grocery cupboard, he was far from horrified; he saw the dusty tin as a wonderful opportunity to prove his point about best-before dates.
The chairman of FACS - South Africa’s Food Advisory Consumer Service - Watson has been trying for many years to get consumers to understand that shelf-stable food such as maize meal, packet and tinned soups, rice, non-dairy cooldrinks, flour, rice, biscuits and cereals - does not become "rotten", "spoilt" or "toxic" after their best-before dates.
"The best-before date speaks to quality, not food safety, yet people perceive it as a food safety issue," Watson says.
Food scientists around the world cite consumer misunderstanding of best-before dates as a major contributor to unnecessary food waste.
As chair of the SA Association for Food Science & Technology’s 2019 congress, now under way in Boksburg, Gauteng, Watson shared with delegates how he cooked custard with that Nestlé custard powder - best-before March 2004 - and then had it analysed in a laboratory.
And then he ate it.
"It tasted bland and it was a bit stodgy, but it was still edible, and more importantly, the lab analysis revealed that it was perfectly safe to eat."
Image: Supplied to Wendy Knowler
The product has been discontinued by Nestlé.
It is not illegal to sell food past its best-before dates, and a growing number of retailers across the country are selling food which is close to or just past its best-before dates, at heavily discounted prices.
But use-by dates, usually found on perishable foods, are indeed about food safety, especially after the pack has been opened. So consumers should avoid consuming food beyond its use-by date.
Adding to the date mark confusion, retailers have introduced sell-by dates to help with their internal stock management.
A sell-by date on its own does not conform to food labelling regulations. With a few exceptions, such as honey, salt and vinegar, products must have either a best-before or use-by date.
GET IN TOUCH: You can contact Wendy Knowler for advice with your consumer issues via email: consumer@knowler.co.za or on Twitter: @wendyknowler.