I admit it, when it comes to food, I have some eeew-inducing practices, like skimming mold off old cheddar and feeding the rest to my unsuspecting family. Weâre still alive, so how bad can it be? Because our gross human habits fall somewhere along the spectrum from mildly cringeworthy to full-on repulsive, I reached out to experts to find out where some common behaviors land on the gross-o-meter.
EATING OLD FOOD
The stamped expiration dateâand its confusing cousins âuse byâ and âbest beforeââshould be but one tool in your hmm-should-I-eat-this? toolbox.
âWith the exception of infant formula, food labels arenât standardized or regulated,â says nutritionist Marie Spiker, an assistant professor at the University of Washington. âFew are related to biology or food safetyâjust peak freshness.â And so, she says, itâs totally fine and safe to eat foods that are not at their exact peak.
Handling, packaging, refrigeration and storage all affect any foodâs farmto-plate timeline, so your best tools are your eyes and nose.
âMost of the time, this is intuitive,â says Spiker. âIf it looks good and smells good, itâs probably good.â Not sure? Consider this: âSpores spread through soft, porous surfaces. So in general, hard foods are more difficult to permeate and therefore safer to eat,â she says. Donât trust your sense of smell or sight? Check out the FDAâs website, where food safety guidelines are available.
So you probably should toss the whole package if you spot mold on bread, soft cheeses like Brie and feta, or soft produce such as strawberries. But itâs not too gross to slice off the funky stuff and save the rest of potatoes, cured meat like salami, or hard cheeses like my beloved cheddar.
BORROWING A TOOTHBRUSH
ãã®èšäºã¯ Reader's Digest India ã® October 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Reader's Digest India ã® October 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of Indiaâs pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
Itâs bitterâbut beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as âbestâ, but itâs easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthanâs Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.