Have you lost faith in the best-before dates on food packages? Are you one of those who have been put off by food companies after removing the lid from a half-full container only to discover the contents have gone bad even though the best-before date hasn't been reached? Well, don't blame the company.
There's more to the best-before dates than meets the eye. Becoming more savvy about the nuts and bolts of food storage can not only benefit your wallet but your health too.
First, these dates refer to unopened packages. Once a product is opened, the rules of the game change. For example, while a container of milk may have a date stamped on it that's three weeks away, as soon as you open the container, the shelf life is no different than for one you open that's supposed to be used in the next week.
While even a sip of sour milk can be extremely off-putting, there's more to the issue of best-before dates than taste. How long you store various foods can affect nutrient losses in addition to increasing the potential for the growth of microbes, which can cause food-borne illness.
For instance, orange juice is a super source of vitamin C. But the vitamin C content can diminish over time.
Think of what the term vitamin means - "vita" signifying life. Vitamins don't last forever, particularly the water-soluble types when exposed to air and light.
Vitamin C and the family known as B vitamins, including folate and pyridoxine, are all water soluble. So buying a large container of OJ because it's a better bargain moneywise than the smaller one may, in fact, not be such a good buy nutritionally -- especially if you take the container in and out of the fridge repeatedly.
The same goes for buying cut-up fruit and vegetables. A whole cantaloupe has the protective outer peel, which defends against nutrient losses, but if you buy sections that are simply packaged as such, plan on consuming them sooner rather than later.
Some products, however, contain preservatives that may allow for a longer storage period. But as with other foods that may be beyond their prime, there's also an increased risk for the growth of various microbes.
When shopping for these items, as well as those such as cottage and other cheeses and yogurt, particularly if you live alone or are part of a small family, consider how much of these foods you consume over a short period of time.
While small or individually sized containers may seem pricey, they're anything but if you consume only half the container and then have to throw out the rest. These considerations are especially important for older people who may be living alone and are more vulnerable to food-borne illnesses.
Increasing your fruit and vegetable purchases is certainly a smart nutritional move when you're trying to boost your intake. But how often in your quest for healthy eating have you simply bought too much produce?
And as we move toward the season when a cornucopia of local offerings will be available, the temptation to overbuy can be even greater.

The result can be an excess of tomatoes or peaches that develop white fuzzy beards.
Bruised produce can go mouldy at a much faster pace. Certain moulds produce toxic substances called mycotoxins, which have been connected to an increase in certain cancers, even when ingested only in small quantities but consistently over a number of years.
Aflatoxin is a particular mycotoxin that has been studied extensively and as a result of its link to ill effects, including an increased risk for liver cancer, there are regulations in North America surrounding inspection of susceptible foods like peanuts.
Commercial peanut butters, for example, are inspected for aflatoxin, but if you are grinding your own -- either at a store or at home, be sure to discard mouldy peanuts as they can be a source of aflatoxin. Store natural nut butters in the refrigerator to reduce the likelihood of mould.
Storage of whole grain products like breads and cereals is also a concern. While they're chock full of nutrients and assorted phytochemicals, they usually don't have as long a shelf life as refined grains. For those items like breads that are preservative free, be on the lookout for mould around the best-before date. Or if you buy a package knowing that it won't be used, pop it into the freezer, being sure to put a dated label on it.
While storing bread in the refrigerator will help to guard against mould, refrigerator temperatures also hasten the formation of certain starch components that rob the bread of a fresh texture.