Norwegian potatoes’ “best before” date is twelve days after they are wrapped – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio

– I think they last a month, says Turid Wiig Olsen. But it turns out that only twelve days pass from the time Norwegian potatoes in the shops are packed until the “best before” date has passed. – Only twelve days, asks a somewhat surprised Wiig Olsen. She thought the potatoes lasted much longer. Turid Wiig Olsen is surprised by the durability of the potatoes. Photo: Emma Bjelland Ingebrigtsen / news But surely we have all eaten potatoes that were bought several weeks or months ago? – There is nothing wrong with these potatoes. But the shelf-life date is twelve days because quality control has been carried out and the packers can guarantee quality for twelve days, explains Arne Vagle, adviser for grain and potatoes at the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service. In other words, you can safely eat potatoes long after the “best before” date. But the packers cannot be responsible for the potatoes for months. – The reason why the shelf life of new potatoes is shorter is precisely the thin skin. That makes the potatoes less robust than storage potatoes, which have a thicker skin that is more protective, says Devi Ahuja, who is potato manager at Bama. Devi Ahuja is the potato manager at Bama. Photo: Nicolas Tourrenc / BAMA Further down in the matter, you can find out what you must watch out for before eating potatoes. So when do potatoes go bad? What about these strange growths that eventually appear on the potatoes? Is this a sign of a bad potato? For example, could this woman eat the potatoes afterwards?: Tentacles in the kitchen? In 2020, a woman in France came home to find the bag of potatoes looking like this. Photo: Screenshot / New York Post – That’s the way it grows. They think they are in the ground, and grow upwards until they reach the light. If it’s dark, they get long. If it’s bright, they won’t be long. This is not dangerous, just cut them off and eat the potatoes, says Vagle. How do you relate to the “best before” labeling on potatoes? 🥔 Don’t usually look at the date marking on the potato. If it looks good, I’ll eat it! Do not eat potatoes that have expired. Show result But how do you know if the potato is bad? According to potato manager Ahuja, in most cases you can see with the naked eye whether a potato is bad or not. These potatoes were packed on June 19, and expire on July 1. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news But if you are in doubt, they have a list that you can use to recognize a bad potato. Mold or fungal growth If there is visible mold or fungus on the potato, it is a sign that the potato is infected and should be thrown away, says Ahuja. The picture shows an example of a rotten potato. Don’t eat! Photo: Sissel Helen Kvalvik / news Bad smell Potatoes that have an unpleasant smell may be rotten and should not be eaten. Dark or soft spots If the potato has dark or soft spots, it can indicate internal rot or diseases, says Ahuja. Then the potato should not be eaten, but in some cases it may mean that the potato is trying to form a new skin. – Then the potatoes can be peeled and eaten, she says. Photo: Arne Hermansen/NIBIO Green spots This could mean that the potato has the substance solanine in it. It can be toxic in large quantities. According to the potato manager, the green spots can be removed before you use the potato. Softness or shriveled skin Sometimes potatoes can also become soft, or have a slightly shriveled skin. This may mean that the potato has lost much of its water content, and has less nutritional value. On this house from the beginning of the 19th century, we see the entrance to the potato cellar. It stands today in the Maihaugen Outdoor Museum in Lillehammer. Photo: Kåre Hosar/Maihaugen Trendy with potato window The potato plant came to Norway in the 18th century, and became very important in the 19th century. Potatoes were stored in potato cellars, and here they could lie for months. With shell and soil on, mind you. – The ones you buy now have been washed. They are therefore not as durable, says Vagle in Norsk landbruksrådgivning. There are several factors that make the potato last shorter than before. – In a cellar, it was usually slightly plus degrees and dark. Then it is also relatively humid. If it is not, they can dry out. This is what the date marking means. There are two variants of the best-before date: 1. Last day of use Food that is easily perishable and can therefore become a health hazard. Here, shelf life is important for whether the food is safe to eat. When the date has passed, the food may contain infectious agents that can make us seriously ill. We cannot always see, smell or taste these infectious agents. You should therefore not eat products marked with “use by” after the expiry date. 2. Best before A guide on how long you can expect the quality and properties of the food not to be lost and to remain in unopened packaging. Most foods are labeled with “best before…” or “best before the end of…”. The actual shelf life of the food determines how the date should be entered. For foodstuffs with a shelf life of less than 3 months, it is sufficient to indicate the day and month. For foodstuffs with a shelf life of more than 3 months, it is sufficient to indicate the month and year. For foodstuffs with a shelf life of more than 18 months, it is sufficient to indicate the year. Source: The Norwegian Food Safety Authority He also highlights a special trend that shows up in the potato selections in the shops. – Now we have to see and feel the potatoes. There are windows on the packages. Then the potatoes get light, says Vagle. Arne Vagle has bought unpeeled new potatoes at the store. Incidentally, the package does not have a window on it either. Photo: Elise Pedersen / news Hi! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 25.06.2024, at 05.46



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