People are consuming food past its use-by date and putting themselves at risk of getting “food poisoning” by eating spoiled goods because they are switching off fridges and freezers to save money, a watchdog has warned.

Households are taking risks with food safety because of the cost of living squeeze and rising energy bills, research by the Food Standards Agency suggests.

A third of consumers (32%) ate food past its use-by date – after which time the product can be unsafe to consume – at least once in the past month because they could not afford to shop for more, a survey by the food safety watchdog found.

Almost a fifth (18%) turned off a fridge or freezer containing food at least once in the last four weeks to cut down on their energy use to reduce bills.

The FSA also found 40% of consumers are worried about being able to afford food in the next month.

Around 30% of respondents said they had skipped a meal or cut down portions during the past month because they did not have enough money to buy food.

The FSA has come up with a number of suggestions to help households stay safe:

• Keep fridges on to help keep food items go further
• Fridges should be set at the correct temperature (5C or below) to help prevent food poisoning – if food is not properly chilled it could go off faster and be unsafe to eat
• A use-by date on food is about safety – and is the most important date to remember
• Food can be eaten until and on the use-by date but not after
• Food items with a use-by-date and are suitable for freezing can be frozen right up to the end of the date on the label
• Best Before is about quality – the food can be safe to eat after this date, but it might not be at its best
• Freezers should be set to -18C – this temperature delays chemical reactions within foods and puts bacteria “on pause”, allowing it to be kept for longer

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FSA chief executive Emily Miles said: “It’s not a good idea to turn off the fridge or eat food past its use-by date as these things can lead to a higher risk of you becoming ill with food poisoning.”

She added: “We’ve got lots more advice on our website to help people use their judgment and make informed choices, while staying safe.”

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