‘Only buy what you need to curb wastage’

PETALING JAYA: After more than 15 months and various movement control orders, one would have assumed that Malaysians had learned not to hoard or panic buy.

But the ongoing lockdown showed that many are still set in their old ways – stocking up more than necessary.

A 28-year-old public relations executive, who only wanted to be known as Low, said she stocked up on food because she was worried that supermarkets would take a long time to resupply.

“I think I stocked up too much. That’s why I had quite a lot of wastage, especially fruits. They don’t last long,” she said.

A 32-year-old, who only wanted to be known as Suraya, said she stocked up on food as she did not want to leave the house for the first two weeks of the lockdown.

“Well, I stuff my refrigerator to the maximum so that there will be no reason for me to leave the house as I live with my elderly mother.

“But, so far, I think my wastage has been quite minimum because

I quickly cook whatever that looks like it’s going to rot,” she said.

To avoid food wastage, nutritionists have advised Malaysians to only purchase food that they need.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Professor of Public Health Nutrition Dr Zaleha Md Isa said among the factors that might cause food spoilage were air, moisture, light, temperature and microbial growth.

When two or more of these factors are combined, it can accelerate the spoiling process even further.

“Temperature generally has the greatest impact on the shelf life of perishable food. Too high a temperature increases the rate of respiration and the growth of microorganisms, which can spoil some food products in a few hours or days,” she said, adding that all perishables should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.

She said if dry food was exposed to moisture, this could result in mould and bacterial growth that might lead to food spoilage and food-borne illnesses.

“If the mould is found on hard food such as hard cheese, cured meat, firm fruits and vegetables like cabbages and root vegetables, then it’s safe to consume once the mouldy part is removed along with its surrounding area.

“For soft food, it should be thrown out once there is mould. This includes cooked leftovers, soft cheese, yogurt, bread, jam, soft fruits and vegetables, such as cucumbers, peaches and tomatoes. This is because mould can spread in soft food,” she said.

Dr Zaleha said over-stuffing the refrigerator would leave limited space for air flow, causing food to spoil more quickly due to pockets of warmer air in it.

“People should only buy what they need.

“The question is whether we can use the food in time. Buying more than what we need only shifts the waste from the store to our home. When shopping for food, prepare a meal plan for the week and use a shopping list by stating the amount required,” she said.

Dr Zaleha suggests that consumers check what they currently have in their refrigerator and food cupboard before buying more and to freeze them before the expiry date.

She also advised the public to store food at lower temperatures to slow both microbial growth, and the enzymatic and oxidation processes.

“Perishable food products kept at the proper temperature can generally remain at high quality for multiple days or weeks, even months or years in the case of frozen food,” she said.

People, said Dr Zaleha, should also be aware of the differences between the “use by” and “best before” dates.

“The ‘use by’ date on packaged food tells us when it’s still safe to eat the product and is found on perishable food such as chilled meat, dairy and ready-made meals. To avoid wastage, these should only be purchased when necessary. It is best not to stock up.

“For ‘best before’ dates, it is more flexible. After this date, food such as dried beans, lentils and pasta can be consumed safely although their quality – such as changes in flavour, colour and texture – may have dropped.

Trusting our senses should be sufficient to detect the quality of food with these labels,” she said.

Nutrition Society of Malaysia president Dr Tee E Siong said people should not panic buy as there was no food shortage in the country.Dr Tee said leafy vegetables would not last more than a week while meat could be kept in the freezer to last longer.

He suggests buying “hardy food” such as cauliflower, cabbage and potato as these can last longer.

“People should also clean their refrigerator. Things that are not used for months should be removed. Indulgent food such as ice-cream and sweets will take up fridge space so buy less of it,” he said.