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Ultra Heat Treated (UHT) milk can be stored at room temperature until its expiry date. However once it is opened, it should be kept chilled and consumed within a week.
No food lasts forever however well it is stored. Most pre-packed foods carry either a 'best before' or 'use by' date. Check them carefully.
- 'Use by' dates are for highly perishable food. It can be dangerous to eat food that have passed their 'use by' date.
- 'Best before' dates are for food with a longer shelf life. They indicate how long the food will be at its best quality.
Even if a food is within these dates, do not eat it if you have any doubts about the safety of the food.
After use, wash all utensils with hot water and dishwashing liquid. Change the water regularly then rinse in clean, hot water.
Store cooking, eating and drinking utensils in cupboards and drawers. Where possible, use clean kitchen utensils, not fingers, for handling food.
Use separate utensils for handling raw and cooked food. After using utensils for raw food, wash and dry them thoroughly before using them for other food, especially cooked and ready-to-eat food.
Root vegetables such as potatoes, leeks and carrots often have traces of soil on them which can contain harmful bacteria, so wash them thoroughly before use, especially when they are to be eaten raw. You may do this by scrubbing the skin gently with a brush.
Soak leafy vegetables in fresh tap water for 15 minutes. Before cutting and cooking, rinse the vegetables once more under a tap or in a basin of fresh tap water. Special detergents are not necessary.
Do not mix fruits with vegetables in the same storage compartment as fruits produce ethylene gas during their ripening process. Ethylene gas can cause yellowing of green vegetables.
Always throw away vegetables that have started to rot.
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