WITH the ongoing cost of living crisis, people are trying to budget more than ever on their food shop.
And there’s one simple label trick in supermarkets that could save you hundreds of pounds a year.
Food shops are more expensive than ever[/caption]
People are wasting money by ignoring ‘best before’ hack[/caption]
But ‘use by’ dates must always be followed[/caption]
Supermarket products expert Richard Price, from Britsuperstore, says confusion between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates causes UK shoppers to throw away perfectly good food.
Richard, who has over 25 years’ experience in the grocery and supermarket industry, says: “A ‘best before’ date is about quality, not safety.
“It’s when the product will be at peak taste or texture, but passing that date doesn’t mean it’s unsafe to eat.
“I’ve eaten biscuits months past their best before and they taste exactly the same.
“The key is to use your senses, look, smell, and taste before binning it. If it’s stored properly and there’s no mould or odd smell, it’s usually fine.”
According to Richard, dry goods like pasta, rice, biscuits, tea, coffee and chocolate can be perfectly fine for months or even years past their best before date if stored correctly.
Dried herbs, spices, flour and sugar also fall into Richard’s “Safe Past-Best-Before” shopping list
And even tinned goods such as beans, soup and tomatoes can last for years.
To put it simply, the ‘best before’ date is all about quality, and goods are often safe to eat after the deadline.
On the other hand, the ‘use by’ date is a safety measure and no food should be eaten after this time.
In particular, you should never risk eating soft cheeses such as brie, or fresh meat and fish after their use by date.
“If more shoppers understood this, they could save a small fortune and help cut down the UK’s enormous food waste problem,” Richard adds.
If you’re looking to save even more money on your food shop, a upermarket insider has revealed the exact times for yellow sticker deals at UK chains – and it can save 90 per cent off your shop.
David Holmes, CEO of WhatPrice.co.uk, has rounded up the exact time that coveted yellow stickers appear at Britain’s biggest supermarkets.
He explained each store has its own strict schedule for marking down items near their sell-by dates.
The biggest reductions happen during specific windows when managers need to clear stock fast, usually late afternoon or early evening.
He said: “Most people spot yellow stickers while shopping, but hardly anyone knows there’s a science to when they appear.
“Knowing exactly when to visit each supermarket could save families hundreds of pounds on their grocery bills.”
You can see the full list of times for each supermarket here.
How to save money on your supermarket shop
THERE are plenty of ways to save on your grocery shop.
You can look out for yellow or red stickers on products, which show when they’ve been reduced.
If the food is fresh, you’ll have to eat it quickly or freeze it for another time.
Making a list should also save you money, as you’ll be less likely to make any rash purchases when you get to the supermarket.
Going own brand can be one easy way to save hundreds of pounds a year on your food bills too.
This means ditching “finest” or “luxury” products and instead going for “own” or value” type of lines.
Plenty of supermarkets run wonky veg and fruit schemes where you can get cheap prices if they’re misshapen or imperfect.
For example, Lidl runs its Waste Not scheme, offering boxes of 5kg of fruit and vegetables for just £1.50.
If you’re on a low income and a parent, you may be able to get up to £442 a year in Healthy Start vouchers to use at the supermarket too.
Plus, many councils offer supermarket vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund.