Shopkeeper praised for signs encouraging people to 'live simply so that other people can simply live'

Last month, there was an outcry when people started panic buying toilet roll - and now other popular supermarket items, like flour and eggs, have been in short supply thanks to a rise in home baking during the coronavirus pandemic.

Now, the polite plea of a shopkeeper for people to buy essentials responsibly has been widely praised on Twitter.

In a post, Liverpool-based store Matta’s - who stock international foods, and particularly cater for those wanting vegetarian, vegan and organic produce - revealed they were putting up notices that read: “Live simply so that others may simply live.”

Captioning an image of the sign, they wrote: “We put these signs up in our shop just as a gentle reminder, more to our new shoppers and it’s all about shopping for what you need.”

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The moving post has been ‘liked’ more than 540 times, and has received more than a hundred shares.

One person wrote: “That's wonderful! Thank you.”

Another commented: “Beautiful words.”

A third shared: “How wonderfully thoughtful.”

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And a fourth added: “Love this.”

It comes as it was revealed that certain foods can be eaten months after their best-before dates, according to consumer watchdog Which.

Eggs can be eaten one week after their best-before date, while opened milk can be consumed up a week after the use-by date.

The government have been encouraging people to shop less and try to use up what is in their cupboards and freezers.

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However, many are confused about the various dates on produce labels - and often throw out food too soon.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), a use-by date on a label is about safety and is therefore the most important date to remember.

The best-before date, sometimes shown as BBE (best before end), is about quality and not safety.

They also explain that a best-before date will only be accurate if the food has been stored according to the instructions on the packaging.