Experts have finally had their say on the big hummus debate, reaching some alarming conclusions around the potentially dangerous and foolish impact of axing plastic lids on the dips.
MailOnline exclusively broke the news earlier this week that Tesco had made the drastic call this month to ditch the plastic, getting rid of more than 31 million pieces from its stores.
This prompted deep concern and outrage in some quarters with a number of British shoppers saying the multinational retailer’s ‘eco friendliness’ had ‘gone too far’.
Tesco insisted, when approached, that the freshness of the product would not be affected by the change and that it should still be eaten within two days (as before).
But when MailOnline approached Waitrose they said they had retained a recyclable lid for the product so it could ‘stay fresh longer’.
Tesco insisted, when approached, that the freshness of the product would not be affected by the change and that it should still be eaten within two days (as before)
There was deep concern and outrage in some quarters with a number of British shoppers saying the multinational retailer’s ‘eco friendliness’ had ‘gone too far’
With other stores also donning recyclable hummus lids, this has raised questions over the factors at play in Tesco’s decision-making.
What is the truth and are you really safe now that the plastic lid on your beloved chickpea spread has gone and done a runner?
And how does your favourite supermarket dip packaging compare to Tesco’s product?
A look at other brands
A look at the Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S products suggests most other stores have kept their plastic assets – for now.
The Waitrose spokesman said: “Almost all of our own-brand creamy hummus products have rigid lids – which helps them to stay fresh for longer and are fully recyclable.’
‘One exception is our 3 x pack of essential hummus, which is designed for a single-use serving.’
ASDA has also kept the plastic lid on its tub but lists the cardboard sleeve as the only recyclable part of the product.
A classic pot of hummus from Sainsbury’s. The Sainsbury’s website says you can recycle the sleeve, the pot, but not the film
Classic houmous from M&S. The Ocado website says: ‘We’ve made a packaging change and removed our cardboard sleeve, saving up to 7 tonnes of paper per year across our Ocado Own Range dips. Once your dip has been eaten and enjoyed, you can rinse and recycle it all’
ASDA has also kept the plastic lid on its tub but lists the cardboard sleeve as the only recyclable part of the product
The Waitrose spokesman said: ‘Almost all of our own-brand creamy hummus products have rigid lids – which helps them to stay fresh for longer and are fully recyclable.’
M&S is another store to have kept its lid but says both pot and lid may be ‘rinsed and recycled’. Packaging on a product in store warned not to recycle the plastic film, however.
Morrisons also lists online that three parts of its product – lid, pot and sleeve – may be recycled but a spokesman confirmed with MailOnline the company had actually removed the lids from its hummus pots.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s is the one other mainstream supermarket to have axed the lid.
In a surprising turn of events, a product description online lists the sleeve and pot are both recyclable – but states ‘do not recycle film’.
Yet a packet in store boasts of its 30 per cent reduction in plastic on the sleeve cover.
The verdict?
We went out onto the streets of London to ask people what they thought about Tesco’s recent decision.
The verdict from those we spoke to was mostly negative, as some questioned the logic of removing the lid when it would just need to be ‘wrapped in clingfilm’ as a result, ‘wasting’ more plastic.
Tesco shoppers Adrian Holloway (L) and Cameece Maddis (R) weighed in on the great debate when MailOnline interviewed them on Tottenham Court Road
Allaister spoke out too despite Tesco insisting the change has no impact on product quality or shelf life and added the hummus should still be consumed within 2 days of opening
Cameece Maddis, 32, and Adrian Holloway, 28, for example suggested they were not a fan of the move and questioned the logic behind the new packaging.
Ms Maddis said: ‘I have to now wrap it with foil instead because it always goes off quicker.
‘It is a good reason (environmental) but I actually wouldn’t mind paying extra to have the lid.’
Mr Holloway added: ‘It definitely doesn’t last as long without a re-sealable lid where you can reseal it or keep it fresh longer.’
How quickly do dips go off?
Dr Primrose Freestone, a microbiologist at the University of Leicester, said seeing no mould when peeling back the film despite an old use-by-warning to ‘consume within two days’ could be a risk to our health.
She even went so far as to recommend wrapping the products in clingfilm – something concerned shoppers like Ms Maddis and Mr Holloway feared they might need to do – ‘wasting’ yet more plastic.
Two days is all it takes for dips to become unsafe to eat though this can happen faster, Dr Freestone warned.
‘The thing is, once you open the lid, airborne bacteria will start to settle on the top of the dip,’ she said.
‘It is then only a matter of time before contamination by germs happens and food poisoning becomes a possibility.’
Bacteria, fungi and viruses can come from our hands as we’re eating a dip or from our mouths as we breathe, speak, sneeze or cough near it.
But, as well as germs getting into the dip, they will by no means be sterile when you buy them.
‘They will already contain microorganisms and opening the lid provides a shot of oxygen and off they go – they will start growing rapidly,’ Dr Freestone said.
Temperature is also a factor. When bacteria have access to temperatures warmer than the fridge (above 5C), they can double in number in as little as 20 minutes.
These are the reasons most dips come with an instruction to ‘consume within two days of opening’, even if a dip is still within its use-by date, because of how quickly bugs can take over.
How can dips make us ill?
‘As for what you can catch from a dip – food poisoning in short,’ Dr Freestone said.
There are around 2.4 million cases of food poisoning in the UK each year.
While most sufferers recover within a few days without needing any treatment, it can be life-threatening for the very young, immunocompromised and elderly, as well as pregnant women and their unborn baby.
‘They should not mess around with dips or any other leftovers that have not been stored safely,’ she said.
The expert added that when it comes to dips, listeria is the most likely cause of food poisoning, as this bug grows in the cool temperatures of the fridge.
Tony Spar, a 71-year-old retiree, was a rare person MailOnline spoke to who appeared to support the move
It’s impossible to know if your dip is contaminated but the risk increases if you eat after more than 48 hours of it being open, or past its use-by date.
‘If there are only a few listeria present when you eat the dip, you won’t get ill. If there are hundreds, you might and if there are thousands, you almost certainly will,’ she said.
For those who regularly eat dips after their use-by date or more than two days after opening them without becoming unwell, ‘you might have a really robust immune system,’ Dr Freestone said.
Which dips are most risky?
‘There are a huge number of dips with a huge number of preservative additives, so you can’t really generalise about what goes off fastest,’ and is therefore the most risky, Dr Freestone said.
Bacterial growth may be slower in dips with garlic or herbs, such as sour cream and chive dip.
But dips that contain acidic ingredients – such as lemon juice, tomatoes or vinegar – may last slightly longer, because bacteria grows more slowly in an acidic environment.
This means, in theory, that salsa, taramasalata and tzatziki may last longer than the likes of hummus and guacamole.
Salt and sugar act as a preservative, so those high in these ingredients may also fare slightly better.
Additionally, garlic and herbs are antimicrobial, which may mean bacterial growth is slower in aioli and sour cream and chive dip.
How can you reduce your risk?
‘Once you’ve bought a dip, get it in the fridge quickly.’
‘With the exception of listeria, the cold slows down the growth of bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella and bacillus,’ Dr Freestone said.
Despite some supermarkets doing away with plastic lids for dips, there’s no need to decant it into a container, as this will only increase the risk of it becoming contaminated, she said.
‘Leave it in the container it is already in, handle it as little as you can and get it in the fridge as fast as you can.’
The outrage was not just directed at Tesco – Sainsbury’s also shared a good portion of the hummus fury
‘Leave it the container it is already in, handle it as little as you can and get it in the fridge as fast as you can,’ Dr Freestone said
‘Bless. Stay strong.’ Dr Freestone recommends not leaving the hummus more than two days before finishing it
Regardless of whether it’s shop-bought or homemade, ‘don’t leave it more than two days before finishing it,’ Dr Freestone advised.
If you’ve eaten some of it and want to keep the rest for later, ‘wrap it in a bit of cling film before putting it back in the fridge, as this keeps out air and in turn slows bacterial growth,’ she said.
However, if you’ve left it at room temperature for a few hours or multiple people have been eating it, ‘don’t bother sticking it back in the fridge because the level of germs will have grown to a level where they can actually cause illness,’ Dr Freestone added.
Stick to the use-by date, even if a dip looks perfectly fine, she urged.
While best before dates flag when food quality – such as taste or texture – will start to worsen, use-by dates mark the end of when a food is safe to eat.
‘Ultimately, dips aren’t expensive and is it worth getting food poisoning from a dip that’s potentially gone off? I don’t think it is. My strong advice is eat the dip as soon as you can.’
