The Great Date Debate

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What does the “Use By” date mean?* This field is required.

A. The date food must be eaten by for safety reasons

B. The date the shop must sell the food by

C. A suggestion for when the food tastes best

2

Correct!
Use By dates are about safety. Foods with use-by dates can become unsafe to eat before they are visibly spoiled or off. If it’s past the use-by date, it’s not safe to eat—even if it smells okay.

3

Opps! The correct answer was A.
Use By dates are about safety. If food has past the use-by date, it’s not safe to eat—even if it looks or smells okay.

4

What does the “Best Before” date mean?* This field is required.

A. After this date, the food is unsafe

B. You can eat food past this date but it might not be at its best quality.

C. It’s the shop’s inventory deadline

5

Correct! Best Before is about quality, not safety. If food looks, smells, and tastes okay—and it’s been stored well—it’s usually safe to eat after the date. Trust your senses!

6

Opps! The correct answer was B!
Best Before is about quality, not safety. If food looks, smells, and tastes okay—it’s usually safe to eat after the Best Before date. Trust your senses!

7

True or False: Meat frozen before its use-by date can be safely eaten after that date when thawed.* This field is required.

A) True

B) False

8

Correct!
Freezing food before its Use By date can extend its shelf life and help reduce waste. Just make sure when you defrost it, you cook and eat within 24 hours.

9

Oops! The correct answer was True!
Freezing food before its Use By date is a great way to extend its shelf life and help reduce waste. Just make sure when you defrost it, you cook and eat within 24 hours.

10

What's a common food item that can last 1-2 years past its Best Before date?* This field is required.

A) Dried pasta

B) Cottage cheese

C) Milk

D) Chicken

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Nice one! Dried pasta is very shelf-stable because it’s low in moisture. If stored in a cool, dry, airtight place, it can last 1–2 years past the best-before date. Always trust your senses! Check it: any mold or insect activity = discard. If it’s crumbling or sticky, throw it out. Smell it: musty or rancid odors mean it’s no longer good.

12

Oops! The correct answer was A - Dried pasta
Dried pasta is very shelf-stable because it’s low in moisture. If stored in a cool, dry, airtight place, it can last 1–2 years past the best-before date. Always trust your senses! Check it: any mold or insect activity = discard. If it’s crumbling or sticky, throw it out. Smell it: musty or rancid odors mean it’s no longer good.

13

True or False: You should not eat food that has passed it's Use By date.* This field is required.

A) True

B) False

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Great job!
Use By dates are about safety. If it’s past the use-by date, it’s not safe to eat—even if it smells okay.

15

Oops! The correct answer was True!

Use By dates are about safety. If it’s past the use-by date, it’s not safe to eat—even if it smells okay.

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You've got an egg 3 days past it's Best Before date. What should you do first?* This field is required.

A) Toss it — it's too far gone

B) Check it: with the float test

C) Crack it into a bowl and taste a tiny bit.

17

You nailed it!
Checking with a quick float test is a safe and surprisingly fun way to check eggs!
Place eggs in water. If they sink, they’re ok to eat; if they float, its time to pop them in the compost bin!

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Uh-oh you might've just wasted a perfectly good egg! The correct answer was B!
Checking first with a quick float test is a safe, and surprisingly fun way to check eggs!
Place eggs in water. If they sink, they’re ok to eat; if they float, its time to pop them in the compost bin!

19

Uh-oh that’s risky! The correct answer was B!
Checking first with a quick float test is a safe, and surprisingly fun way to check eggs!
Place eggs in water. If they sink, they’re ok to eat; if they float, its time to pop them in the compost bin!

20

You’ve found a jar of peanut butter past its Best Before date. What should you do?* This field is required.

A) Toss it out.

B) Check it, smell it, taste it! If it looks good, smells fine and tastes good then it is still good to eat.

C) Wait for it to smell bad.

D) If it’s past the date, definitely throw it away.

21

Correct! Peanut butter along with many spreads and condiments can last well past its Best Before date if stored correctly. Check it, smell it, taste it before tossing!

22

Oops! Don't just toss it!
Check, smell, and taste to see if it's still good. Many spreads and condiments when stored correctly will last beyond their Best Before date!

23

An ‘Eat Me First’ shelf is a simple way to avoid forgetting food nearing its Best Before or Use By date* This field is required.

A) True

B) False

24

Correct! Creating an Eat Me First shelf in your fridge or pantry helps you keep track of items that need to be used up soon, reducing food waste and saving money. Order FREE reusable stickers on the Love Food Hate Waste NZ website.

25

Whoops! The correct answer was True!
Creating an Eat Me First shelf in your fridge or pantry helps you keep track of items that need to be used up soon, reducing food waste and saving money. Order FREE reusable stickers on the Love Food Hate Waste NZ website.

26

Your tub of yogurt is 3 days past its Best Before date and has some watery separation. It should be tossed immediately.* This field is required.

True

False

27

Bingo! Yogurt a few days past its Best Before date isn’t automatically spoiled. The key is to Check it, Smell it, Taste it!

Check it – visually. Watery separation is normal, but mold or unusual colors are not.
Smell it – it should have its usual tangy aroma; any sour, rancid, or ammonia-like smell is a warning.
Taste – if it looks and smells fine, a small taste can confirm it’s safe.

28

Oops! The correct answer was False!
Yogurt a few days past its Best Before date isn’t automatically spoiled. The key is to always Check it, Smell it, Taste it:
Check it – visually. Watery separation is normal, but mold or unusual colors are not.
Smell it – it should have its usual tangy aroma; any sour, rancid, or ammonia-like smell is a warning.
Taste – if it looks and smells fine, a small taste can confirm it’s safe.

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BONUS QUESTION: What will YOU do differently after this quiz?* This field is required.Choose as many as apply!

A) Check date labels more carefully

B) Stop throwing food out just because it's past its Best Before

C) Use my senses to check food past its Best Before date

D) Store food better to make it last longer

E) Share what I've learned with friends & whanau

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Total correct

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🎉Quiz Complete! You scored {totalCorrect} out of 9!🎉

No worries, you’re just getting started! 🌱 You’re learning to decode date labels and trust your senses—every tip brings you closer to food-smart superstar status. 💪

Fancy a shot at one of fifteen $100 grocery vouchers? Enter your details on the next screen and join the fun!

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🎉Congratulations! You scored {totalCorrect} out of 9!🎉

Nice job!👍 You’re getting the hang of checking dates and using your senses to keep perfectly good food from being wasted. Thanks for taking part! 🍎

Don’t forget to enter your details on the next screen for a chance to win one of fifteen $100 grocery vouchers!

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🎉 Wow, you crushed it! You scored {totalCorrect} out of 9!🎉

You clearly know your date labels and how to trust your senses to keep food from being wasted. You’re officially a food waste warrior!

Fancy winning one of fifteen $100 grocery vouchers? Enter your details on the next screen to be in the running!

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Enter your details to be in to WIN!Enter the draw and you'll also receive our monthly e-newsletter packed with tasty recipes, clever tips, and smart tricks to help fight food waste. 🥗🍞Don’t worry—you can unsubscribe anytime if it’s not for you!✨Winners will be drawn 01/12/25 and notified via email.✨

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Enter your details to be in to WIN!Enter the draw and you'll also receive our monthly e-newsletter packed with tasty recipes, clever tips, and smart tricks to help fight food waste. 🥗🍞Don’t worry—you can unsubscribe anytime if it’s not for you!✨Winners will be drawn 01/12/25 and notified via email.✨

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