Fresh foood: Buying and eating food that is safe for your family

When it comes to going to the supermarkets, it’s often a bit tricky to know what makes food fresh, which fruits are in season and which products are the best to pick.

Here is a quick guide (of a few common fresh produces) to help you identify the freshness of different foods and what’s ready (or not ready) to be eaten.Simply use your senses to inspect the food you eat and buy.

• Bananas: Check to see if they are bright yellow with limited spotting, if they are green that’s okay, just wait a couple of days before eating. BUT soft, brown bananas should not be eaten.
• Apples: Don’t be fooled by the colour of the skin, many apple’s glossy red skins are deliberately enhanced by manufacturers and companies. Choose firm apples and evenly coloured.
• Root Vegetables (e.g. potatoes): Like apples, feel and inspect to find the firm ones. If they have soft spots, limpness or sprouts, don’t buy them.
• Leafy Greens: These vegetables should be crispy and bright in appearance, they should not be shrivelled or yellow.
• Onions: Check the first layer for any marks or cracks or discolouration. These are easy indicators of bad (mouldy) and unfresh onions.
• Chicken: Raw chicken should be odour-free and have little to no liquid in the package.
• Cold Cuts: The colour and texture are good indicators of it’s freshness. It should not be greyish and should not be slippery.
• Red Meat: Buy red and firm meat, not brown and slippery products.

(Guidelines information based on recommendations provided by:  http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1059198/how-to-tell-if-your-food-is-fresh-2)

However, fresh food sold at Woolworths, Coles, IGA or any supermarket may not always be as fresh as you think. These days, the advancements in technology have enabled manufacturers to store, freeze and preserve fruits, meats and vegetables for a few years, when fresh produce would normally only last for a few weeks in good condition. One of the main reasons for preserving fresh foods is due to the increasing rate of importing fruits and vegetables from overseas and picking fruit before it’s ripe (easier for storage and transport). Unfortunately, this means that not only are fresh produce preserved, the quality, flavour and aroma are affected.

So be wary of supermarkets. Sometimes specialist butchers, organic produce and fruit & veggie (farmer’s) markets provide better quality and fresher produce. Try to also eat fruit and vegetables that are in season (Click here to see the Australian Seasonal Food Guide) and choose ripe fruit.

For more information about the effects of preservation and storage of fresh produce, visit https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/supermarkets/articles/fresh-food-tricks

-Tiff