Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mr. Ballam.

Thanks for choosing this lesson.

This lesson's all around food labels for safety.

Let's get started, shall we? So what are we going to learn in this lesson? Well, by the end of this lesson, you'll be able to explain where different foods should be stored safely.

Before we get started, I want to go through some keywords which we're gonna use in the lesson today.

The first one is food label, and this conveys information about a food on its packaging.

The second one is use by, and this is a date mark to indicate the last day a food can be eaten for safety.

The third one is best before, and this is another date mark which is used to indicate when, after a date, the food may not look or taste its best but will still be safe.

And the last one is storage instructions, and this tells us how and where best to store our food so it's safe to eat.

So let's get started with the first part of the lesson, which is all around buying safe food.

Now, buying safe foods mean making some really good choices so we can stay healthy and avoid becoming ill.

And we should always, for example, check the date marks.

We should also read the food labels.

We should make sure the food is stored correctly in the shops.

Plus, we should also check that the food is packed properly.

Now, name five different places where we can buy food.

What did you come up with? There are lots of different places, aren't there? So for example, it could be a supermarket, for example.

Or perhaps you've got a butcher's or a greengrocer's, for example.

Or perhaps it's online.

We can also buy food in cafes and restaurants too, can't we, as well as takeaways too.

So there are lots of different places that we can buy food, but we need to make sure we buy it so we stay healthy and avoid becoming ill.

Now, packaged foods have date marks on them, and we need to check that a date mark has not expired.

So for example, if you were shopping on the 30th of June and the date mark says "use by the 27th of June," do not buy the food.

It would not be safe to eat.

And some foods are not packaged, such as fresh fruits and vegetables.

So what we need to do here is we need to check that they look fresh, with no signs of mould.

So why is it important to check the date mark? Well, that's right, we need to check the date mark so the food doesn't make us ill.

We need to make sure it's safe to eat.

So let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? So let's say it's the 6th of May.

Now, which of these lasagnas is still good to buy, A, B, C? That's right, the 14th of May.

That's good.

Anything else? Yes, that's right, B as well, because these dates become after the 6th of May.

We wouldn't want to buy the one that says 4th of May, would we? No, because then it'll be out of date.

Well done.

Now, to ensure that food is safe to eat, we need to check the food packaging too.

And we shouldn't buy food with damaged packaging, such as torn bags, trays, boxes, or dented cans or cartons either.

And the damage might mean there's a risk that the food is not safe to eat.

So if something looks open or is leaking, don't buy it.

Now, food labels also display the ingredient list for a food, and the ingredient list shows what ingredients have been used to make the food.

And this is really important, especially for people with an allergy so they can select a food which is safe for them to eat.

So always check the ingredients if you have an allergy.

And we can see an ingredient list on the screen here, and you can see here that allergens are in bold.

Sometimes they might be in italics, and sometimes they can be underlined.

So let's have another quick check, shall we? So true or false? The food in dented cans or open packets will still be safe to eat.

Well, that's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, damaged packaging, such as torn bags, trays, or boxes, or dented cans or cartons should not be purchased.

There is a risk that the food inside may not be safe to eat.

Brilliant work, well done.

And some foods also feature a food standard or a quality mark.

You may have seen this one on the screen here.

And these foods show that the food has been produced and processed to high standards of food safety as well as animal welfare too.

And this example here is called the Red Tractor.

You can see its name, can't you, just under the red tractor.

And sometimes we buy food that is prepared for us right then, so this might be sliced meats or cheeses or perhaps different breads.

And if the food is being handled and prepared, we need to make sure the people serving us are working hygienically.

And if we're buying frozen or chilled food, get it last so it doesn't warm up during shopping.

Plus, just like Izzy's saying, we should use a cool bag if it's a long trip home just to keep it safe.

Let's have another quick check, shall we? So we've got two missing words here in this sentence, so let's read it together.

The Red Tractor shows that a food has been made to a high standard of food something or something welfare.

What are the two words? Well, that's right, the first one is safety, so it's standards of food safety, or animal welfare.

Well done, you've been listening really well today.

So I've got a task for you here.

And Izzy and Alex are buying food for a recipe they want to cook, and what I want you to do is to answer their questions.

So let's find out what questions they've got, shall we? So Alex is asking, "What would happen if the food wasn't safe to eat?" And he's also got another question here, "If I have an allergy, how can I check the food?" How about Izzy? What's her questions, do you think? "How do I know that the food is safe to eat?" And lastly, "The can is dented; is it okay to buy?" So, good luck to you.

Pause the video, and we'll come back very soon to see how you got on.

Okay, so how did you get on? I bet you did really well.

Let's look at some example responses to the questions that Alex asked us.

So the first question was, "What would happen if the food wasn't safe to eat?" So what did you put? Well, I've put: We could become ill, so we need to make those smart choices to stay healthy.

How about the second question? "If I have an allergy, how can I check the food?" What did you put? Well, I've put that allergens are highlighted in the ingredients list, and we should always check the food label.

How about the questions from Izzy? How about her first one? "How do I know that the food is safe to eat?" Well, we can use the date marks showing us by when to eat the food.

Also, we shouldn't buy food that is in damaged packaging.

Her second question, "The can is dented; is it okay to buy?" Hmm, I think I might have already answered this one, Izzy.

No, do not buy it as the packaging is damaged.

There is a risk that the food inside is not safe to eat.

I'm sure you've come up with some great answers too.

Well done to you.

Now let's move on to the second part of the lesson all around storing food safely.

Now, food labels also provide storage instructions, and these instructions show how best to store a food to keep it safe to eat.

And depending on the food, they can be stored in the cupboard, where it's cool and dry, in the fridge, where it's cold, and in the freezer so they're frozen.

And like Izzy is saying here, as a reminder, we should always follow the storage instructions so we keep the food safe to eat.

So food stored in sealed packets, cartons, or cans are usually kept in the cupboard, where it's cool and dry.

And the cupboard food includes things like dried pasta, rice, cereals, and crisps, perhaps canned food, such as beans and soup, or long-life milk or juice if it's unopened.

And just like Jun's saying here, the label might also say "once opened, keep in the fridge and use within three days." That's a really good piece of advice.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So which foods would you store in a cupboard? That's right, A.

Anything else? Yes, C.

Well done.

So these foods are packaged.

We've got them in the plastic container as well as in the cans too.

Well done.

Now, some foods are kept in the fridge, and this helps them to keep safer for longer so we can eat them.

And foods in the fridge might include things like milk, cheese, and spreads, or perhaps raw meat and fish, perhaps cooked meats too, things like hummus or ready meals.

They would be stored in the fridge too.

And we can also store fresh fruit and vegetables in the fridge.

And our food label might say something like "keep refrigerated" so we know where to store it.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So what might a food label say if we should store foods in the fridge? Yes, that's right, it's B, isn't it? It might say "keep refrigerated." Well done.

Now, some foods are also kept in the freezer, helping to keep them safe to eat.

And these types of foods might include frozen peas, pizzas, and samosas, or perhaps ice cream.

And some foods that are bought fresh can also be frozen too, so we might buy some minced beef, fish, or perhaps ready meals, and we can freeze these too so they're good for another time.

And meat, fish, bread, and other leftovers could also be stored in the freezer for another time too.

And Lucas has got a really good piece of advice here, "If we store leftovers, label them and eat them within three months." That's really important so the food's safe to eat.

So another quick check, shall we? This one's a true or false this time.

So leftovers, such as a vegetable curry, cannot be frozen due to food safety.

Well, that's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, leftovers can be frozen for another time.

They should be cooled and then labelled and then eaten within three months.

Brilliant, well done.

Now, foods which are unpackaged do not have any storage instructions on them, and these foods might include things like fruits and vegetables if they're unpeeled or uncut, perhaps bread and pastries from a bakery.

Now, these foods do need to be stored, though, in a cool, dry, and dark place so they're good to eat.

And some foods can also be placed into the fridge, so things like strawberries, for example.

And the bread and the pastries could also be frozen for another time.

Do you remember, label them and eat them within three months.

Let's have another quick check for understanding, shall we? And I want you to read the sentence carefully and pick the two missing words.

Great.

Well, the first one is cool, isn't it? Unpackaged foods need to be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place.

Brilliant work, well done.

Now, when we're storing food, we should always read the food label to see where they should go.

We'd also keep the fridge below 5 degrees and also the freezer below -18 degrees too.

And we should also ensure that our cupboards are clean and dry.

And just like Alex is saying here, using food labels helps us stop food waste and can keep us healthy too.

Okay, so I've got another task for you here.

And what I want you to do is to sort out where this food on the shopping list should be stored.

I'm sure you're gonna do really well.

Remember to pause the video.

I'm gonna come back very soon to see how you've got on.

Okay, so how did you get on? Well, shall we go through the cupboard first of all? Yes, got lots of foods here, haven't we? We've got a jar of curry sauce, long-life apple juice, a can of baked beans, a bag of flour, and a packet of rice too.

How about the fridge? What foods are in the fridge? Yes, things like cheese, cooked chicken slices, fresh lasagna, fresh strawberries as well, and salmon fillets.

How about the last one, the freezer? Yes, ice cream, frozen peas, and frozen samosas.

So this is where I've stored them all.

But, just like Aisha's saying here, some foods could be stored in the fridge or freezer, such as the chicken slices, lasagna, and salmon fillets too.

Brilliant work, well done.

Now let's move on to the third part of the lesson all around using foods by their date mark.

Now, we've talked about food labels providing us information about when the food should be eaten.

And remember, these are called date marks, and there are two types of date marks.

The first one is "use by," and the second one is "best before." Now, the "use by" date mark is used on foods such as things like cheese, meats, and ready-made pizzas and meals, and pasties too.

And it shows the day and the month by when it should be eaten.

And after this date, it should not be eaten.

It will not be safe to eat.

Now, Andeep's got an interesting point here that some milks now display a "use by" or a "best before" mark, so we always need to make sure we have a quick look at the milk and a sniff just to check that it's okay.

So let's have a quick check, shall we? So which of these foods would have a "use by" date on them? Brilliant, yes, A.

Yes, that raw meat, that would have a "use by" date on it.

Anything else? Yes, B as well.

Well done.

You're doing really well today.

I'm really proud of you.

Great work.

Now, "best before" date marks, these are on foods such as things like canned beans, dried fruit, breakfast cereals, and frozen peas too.

And these show the month and the year, so for example, August, 2025.

Now, after this date, the food will probably be still be safe to eat but may not look or taste as good.

Okay, so now I want you to name two foods with a "best before" date.

So what have you come up with? Well, for example, I could say eggs, for example, have a "best before" date, or perhaps some canned soup or perhaps some dried rice.

And there are lots of different foods that have the "best before" date mark on.

I'm sure you've come up with some great ideas.

Okay, let's have a quick check for understanding, shall we? We've got a true or false now, so let's read it together.

So "use by" and "best before" date marks are the same.

The food is still safe to eat after the date passes.

Well, that's false, isn't it? And why is that? Well, "use by" and "best before" date marks are not the same.

After the "use by" date passes, the food is not safe to eat, but after the "best before" date passes, the food will probably be still safe to eat but may not look or taste as good.

Brilliant work, well done.

You're listening really well.

Now, foods which are unpackaged do not have any date marks, and these types of foods might include fresh fruits and vegetables if they're unpeeled or uncut, perhaps also bread and pastries from a bakery.

And we can check the food is safe to eat by doing the following: so how it looks, so no mould or wrinkly skin on fruit and vegetables, perhaps how it smells, so there's no rotten or sour smells, or how it feels, so it's not too soft or slimy, or perhaps too dry and hard for bread, for example.

So let's see if you can answer this question, shall we? So unpackaged fruits and vegetables are good to eat if they do not have, A, B, C, D.

Yes, brilliant, if they don't have any mould.

Anything else? Great, if they don't have a sour smell.

Brilliant work, well done.

Okay, so I've got a task for you here, and I want you to answer these questions.

So the first one is why do foods have date marks? Plus, I want you to explain the difference between "use buy" and "best before" date marks too.

So good luck to you.

Pause the video, and we'll come back very soon to see how you've got on.

Okay, so how did you get on? Let's look at this question then, shall we? And I'll give you some example responses, but I bet you did really well too.

So you may have put something like: Date marks help us know that the food is safe to eat, and a "use by" date mark shows the day and the month by when a food must be eaten for things like cheese and meat.

And the food must not be eaten after this date as it is unsafe to eat, and it could actually make us ill.

And that "best before" date marks show us the month and the year by when a food should be eaten on things like dried fruit or frozen peas, for example.

And after the "best before" date passes, the food will probably still be safe to eat but actually might not look or taste as good.

Brilliant work, well done.

Well, I really hope you enjoyed today's lesson all around food labels for safety.

Let's have a quick summary of what we've learned today, shall we? Well, first of all, we know that buying food safely means making good food choices so that we stay healthy and we avoid becoming ill.

Also, we know that food labels provide storage instructions that show how best to store the food to keep it safe to eat.

Also, we know that some foods feature a food standard or quality mark, indicating that it has been made to high standards of food safety or animal welfare.

Plus, food labels show us information about when food should be eaten, and these are called date marks.

Do you remember? "Use buy" and "best before." Well, brilliant work, you've done so well today.

I'm really proud of you, and I really hope you come back very soon for another cooking and nutrition lesson with me.

Thanks a lot.

Bye!.