If you hate wasting food there are better ways to tell if it's safe to eat than a number on the pack. Smell and texture are some of the key measures of whether food is OK to eat. Any kind of fermented alcohol smell coming from your fruit, for example, is sign to throw it away. And if chicken or fish has a slimy texture, bin it

Bread: In the freezer this will last several months beyond its sell by date, provided it's not mouldy. Bells at Killcaire grows from restaurant to luxury boutique hotel.

Milk: If you store it at the back of the fridge rather than in the door it can last up to 50 per cent longer, as the temperature there is cooler. And the best way to tell if milk's bad is to smell it rather than go by dates

Fish: People are worried about eating bad fish (for good reason) but white fish actually lasts about four weeks after landing. Unfortunately there's no way to know when it was caught or how long it took to get to the shelves so check it doesn't smell and isn't slimy to touch. If not, it's probably fine.

Eggs: Put them in water to see if they float. If they do, don't eat them! This shows that gasses have built up in the shell and the egg is bad. If it sinks, regardless of the date on the side, it should be fine. Most will last four or five weeks beyond their use-by date

Canned food: Cans of food usually have an average of three years shelf-life according to use-by dates, but usually they'll taste fine well beyond that. Experts suggest if you keep them cool you can eat them up to

seven years after you've bought them