Expired food served in flight: Why it is important to check the expiry date of food and cosmetics, how to check

Last Saturday, an Akasa Airlines flight from Gorakhpur to Bengaluru was served an expired food packet to a passenger. The passenger complained to Akasa Airlines on the social media platform and the airline has assured investigation and action in this matter. We all know that food products, medicines, grocery items and even cosmetic products have expiry date, best before or use by date written on them. All of these symbols refer to the best-before date of manufacture, but there are slight differences that need to be understood. So, today in work news we will talk about why it is necessary to check the expiry date of any product? Q- What is the difference between 'expiry', 'best before' and 'use-by' dates? Answer- Generally, people consider the date before the expiry date of the product and the use by date as the best and get confused and throw away the product, whereas there is a difference between these three. Let's understand the difference between these three through the graphic below. Q- Which items should check the expiry date before buying? Ans: The shelf life of food items, medicines, grocery items and cosmetic products available in packets. After their shelf life, their effect may decrease or they may harm your health. It is the responsibility of the manufacturing company to determine and validate the shelf life of the items. So it is very important to check the expiry date. Question: What is the shelf life of cosmetic products? Answer- The shelf life of cosmetic products depends on its maintenance. Generally, most cosmetics have a shelf life of 30 months and 10-12 months after opening. There are two ways to check this. Q- What kind of side effects can be caused by using the product after the expiry date? Answer- After the expiry date, the quality, potency or taste of the food gradually deteriorates. It can be identified by a change in color, texture or smell. Apart from this, the potency of cosmetic products decreases after the expiry date. What and how much damage to the body from expired food or cosmetic products depends on how many days ago the product has expired. For example, eating expired dairy products can cause indigestion or food poisoning because bacteria can grow after the shelf life has expired. Also, applying expired creams or lotions can cause skin problems. Understand from the graphic below how dangerous it can be to use food or cosmetic products after the expiry date. Q- What are the things to keep in mind while buying grocery or cosmetic products online? Answer: Online shopping carries the risk of delivery of expired goods as people rush during deals or offers and do not read product details carefully. In such a situation keep these things in mind-

Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).