"Chris Smith, a professor of food science at Manchester Food Research Centre, agrees education is key.
He says part of the reason consumers have become so dependent upon "use-by" dates is that they are no longer able to recognise when food is inedible.
"In the 1960s, people would go to a butcher and smell meat to see how fresh it was. The best beef would be hung for 21-28 days before it was eaten. Nowadays so much is pre-packaged, people don't have the same experience of smelling food.
"Until we regain an understanding of the smells that indicate inedibility, we have to rely on the systems which do work, like use-by dates," he says.
For example, to check pre-packaged meat is safe to eat by smelling it, the package needs to be opened, and kept at room temperature for 30 minutes, he argues.
But he says although smelling food can be helpful in some situations, in others it isn't that simple."
He says part of the reason consumers have become so dependent upon "use-by" dates is that they are no longer able to recognise when food is inedible.
"In the 1960s, people would go to a butcher and smell meat to see how fresh it was. The best beef would be hung for 21-28 days before it was eaten. Nowadays so much is pre-packaged, people don't have the same experience of smelling food.
"Until we regain an understanding of the smells that indicate inedibility, we have to rely on the systems which do work, like use-by dates," he says.
For example, to check pre-packaged meat is safe to eat by smelling it, the package needs to be opened, and kept at room temperature for 30 minutes, he argues.
But he says although smelling food can be helpful in some situations, in others it isn't that simple."
