Milk and oat drinks last significantly longer than the best before date. It shows a survey commissioned by the National Food Administration in order to reduce food waste.
“Many people probably pour out the drink when the best before date has passed without really knowing that it can still be drunk,” says Karin Fritz, food waste expert at the National Food Administration, in a press release.
In the study, which was conducted by the research institute RISE, 33 people got to taste milk and oat drinks from opened packages with passed best-before dates stored in four and eight plus degrees, respectively.
The results show that the milk, compared with newly opened packages whose best before date has not passed, tasted just as good after fourteen and seven days, respectively.
The taste of the oat drink was unchanged ten and sixteen days after the best before date.
“Dare to look, smell and taste food and drink and you will notice that a lot tastes good and can be eaten even if the best before date has passed,” says Karin Fritz in the press release.
“You will both save money on it and also do the climate and the environment a great service.”
The survey is part of the National Food Administration, the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing government assignment to reduce food waste.