Southern View: December 04, 2025

The Star, December 4, 2025
starnews.co.nz
The great date debate
​Love Food Hate Waste wants
us to take a minute to think
before we doom food to the bin
based on a “best before”
​We’ve all done it – grabbed a
tub of yoghurt, seen the date on
the lid, and tossed it without a
second thought.
But here’s the truth: much of
that food past its best before
is perfectly safe to eat. In fact,
more than a third of New
Zealanders (37%) misinterpret
at least one of the two main date
labels.
This confusion means tonnes
of good food and plenty of hardearned
dollars are wasted every
year.
Love Food Hate Waste NZ’s
Great Date Debate campaign is
here to settle the score.
The golden rule is simple,
“use by" dates are about safety
– they’re the deadline. Food
should never be eaten after that
date.
“Best before” dates on the
other hand, are about quality –
think of it as a guideline.
Food is still safe to eat after
this date as long as it’s been
stored properly. It might not be
quite as fresh or crisp, but that
doesn’t mean it belongs in the
bin.
Instead of relying only on the
label, try the three-step test:
check it, smell it, taste it. If it
looks fine, smells fine and tastes
as it should, then it’s fine to eat
or drink.
Take dairy as an example.
Milk is one of the most common
things to get chucked out the
morning after its best before
date, yet if it’s been stored cold
and sealed, it’s often good for
days past the date.
Pour a little into a glass, check
it for any separation and curdled
bits, give it a sniff to identify
any sourness, if it’s all looking
and smelling fresh, try a small
sip and taste it. If it passes the
test, carry on, enjoy it in your
breakfast, smoothie, or coffee.
Even milk that’s starting to
turn can be transformed into
pancakes and used in baking.
Yoghurt and cheese? Often still
delicious well beyond the date.
And instead of throwing them
out, use them up. That yoghurt
can be whipped into a marinade
or turned into simple homemade
pizza dough.
Sour cream edging past its best
before? It’s perfect for rich, flaky
pastry, tender scones, or stirred
into a hearty mushroom and
lentil stroganoff.
Cheese nearing its best before?
Grate and freeze it for a future
pasta bake, pizza night, or
sprinkle into toasties.
These small kitchen saves add
up to big wins for your wallet.
“Use by” dates are different,
they’re not negotiable. But you
can still avoid waste. If you’ve
got fresh meat, deli meats, or fish
you won’t get to in time, freeze
it before the date. Freezing hits
pause, keeping it safe until you’re
ready. Just defrost in the fridge
and eat within 24 hours.
The Great Date Debate is
about more than labels – it’s
about building confidence and
changing habits.
When you understand the
difference between "use by" and
"best before," you save money,
cut waste and help the planet.
So next time you hesitate over a
yoghurt, block of cheese, or a bag
of rice, don’t just read the date —
check it, smell it, taste it. Chances
are, it’s perfectly good to eat.
MUSHROOM AND LENTIL
STROGANOFF
Ingredients
2 Tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
400g mushrooms, sliced
1 yellow capsicum, diced
2 Tbsp butter (30g)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
​2 Tbsp plain flour
1 can brown lentils, drained and
rinsed
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 vegetable stock cube dissolved
in 1 cup hot water
Salt and pepper
½ cup sour cream
Optional garnish: chopped
parsley
Method
• Place a large frying pan on
medium high heat. Once hot, add
oil and onions. Fry onions for 3
minutes, stirring occasionally to
cook evenly.
• Add the mushrooms and
capsicum and fry for 7-10
minutes until mushrooms are
golden, stirring occasionally to
cook evenly.
• Add the butter, garlic and
paprika and cook for two
minutes until fragrant.
• Stir in flour, lentils, Dijon
mustard, Worcestershire sauce
and vegetable stock. Bring to a
simmer. Simmer for five minutes,
stirring occasionally until the
sauce is thick.
• Remove from heat. Season
with salt and pepper. Stir in the
sour cream until completely
incorporated.
• Garnish with chopped parsley
and serve on your choice of
pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.
TIPS
Leftovers can be eaten for
lunch the next day, used as a pie
filling, or frozen.
• Head to @lovefoodhatewastenz on
Facebook and Instagram for more on
the Great Date Debate or take our quiz
at lovefoodhatewaste.co.nz/great-datedebate/
and be in to win one of fifteen
$100 vouchers
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