Book 9, Question 130
Why Isn’t a Sniff Test Enough to Tell If Food Is Safe?
A sniff test is not enough because some dangerous bacteria do not smell bad! The germs that make food stinky are often different from the ones that make people sick. So dates, storage, and cooking rules matter more than whether it seems fine.
More fun facts
- Smelling food can help in some cases, but it is not always that simple.
- Experts say the safest advice is to follow the 'use by' date.
- A food's color can also give clues about whether it has gone off.
- With so much food sold in packages, many people have less practice smelling fresh food.
- Most people rely on 'best before' and 'use by' labels to decide when to throw food away.
Questions kids ask
Can food smell fine and still make me sick?
Yes. Many germs that cause illness do not change how food smells.