Cost conscious pensioners are putting their lives in danger by eating food past its sell by date.
Research published by the Food Standards Agency today found that older people are more likely to take risks with "use by" dates putting themselves at risk of food poisoning from listeria, which can be life threatening in this age group.
The number of people taken ill with listeria has increased 10% since 2007 and doubled since 2000. The increase in cases has occurred predominantly in people aged over 60.
A survey found that only 42% of over 65s recognised "use by" dates as important indicators of whether food is safe or not compared with over 50% of younger groups.
Forty per cent of over 65s would eat dairy products up to three days past their "use by" date; only a third would never eat dairy past its "use by" date compared with over 50% of 16 to 44 year olds.
Only 39 of people aged over 65 checked their fridge temperature at least every six months. Setting the right fridge temperature (between 0°C and 5°C) is important to control the growth of listeria in food.