Food Safety Focus (185th Issue, December 2021) – Article 4

Reduce Food Waste to Help Move Towards Carbon Neutrality

While minimising food waste is central to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon neutrality, it does not have to go against practising food safety. Proper handling of food can maximise its shelf-life and avoid spoilage, and everyone can help reduce food waste and at the same time enhance food safety.

To reduce food spoilage and waste, check what you already have and make a shopping list before purchase. Follow the "first-in-first-out" principle and consume food approaching its "use by" date first. Food after its "best before" date may still be safe to eat with some quality loss if kept in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. To store refrigerated food and frozen food at a proper temperature, the fridge temperature should be checked. Leftovers should be kept in clean and airtight containers, and refrigerated within two hours of finishing preparation.

To make better use of surplus food resources for organisations that conduct food recovery programmes, the Centre for Food Safety has issued a set of guidelines to assist these organisations in ensuring food safety while recovering food for the people in need.