A WOMAN who cannot taste or smell said she's 'horrified' that a supermarket is scrapping 'use by' dates on its milk and instead urging customers to use the sniff test to check it's still good to drink.

Pauline Murphy, who lives in west Dorset, believes the move by Morrisons has not been thought through properly as there are many people like her who have lost their sense of smell.

The supermarket giant, which has a store in Bridport, anticipates the move will stop millions of pints of its own brand milk from being thrown away every year. It will keep 'best before' dates on the milk.

‘Best before’ dates indicate to customers when they should eat a product by - to get the best quality (taste, texture). 'Use by' are the dates up until which a perishable food may be used safely i.e. consumed or cooked.

But there is concern as Morrisons has specifically asked people to use the sniff test.

Mrs Murphy said: "Morrisons have certainly not taken into consideration the many people who have lost their smell, especially permanently. How are we supposed to tell whether it is off or not unless it has got to the curdling stage where this can be seen? Even recently it has been stated that people with Covid can lose their taste and smell, therefore these people would also not be able to smell rancid milk and still drink it.

"There is not a magic remedy for many of us with no taste or smell and if this change goes ahead then there could be many sick people."

Mrs Murphy said the thought of Morrisons removing the 'use by' date 'horrifies' her. She fears other supermarkets will follow suit.

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Mrs Murphy experienced a 'life changing' episode in 2017 when she lost her sense of smell and taste suddenly. Despite hospital intervention, no remedy was found.

She has found that in recent years, with the help and support of charity Fifth Sense, she has got some smell and taste back.

She said: "Anyone who has lost their taste and smell will know what impact it can have on one's life. Not wanting to eat, depression, isolation, thinking people don’t believe you and worst of all, when all medical tests prove negative and no-one can find the reason.

"Although I have got use to living with it and the horrible taste and smell is now mainly vegetables, I am frightened that the little I can taste and smell will disappear again overnight as before."

Chairman and founder of the Fifth Sense charity Duncan Boak said: "I am extremely concerned that the decision taken by Morrisons to remove sell-by dates from milk products and instead ask customers to use a ‘sniff test’ to detect sour milk excludes many vulnerable people with an impaired sense of smell across the UK.

"As the charity for people affected by smell and taste disorders, we represent a large body of people who are at risk of being unable to smell hazards such as gas, smoke and spoiled food. This number has increased significantly over the last two years due to people experiencing smell disorders as a result of Covid-19.

"I have written to Morrisons on behalf of Fifth Sense and the many people who have contacted us since this news was announced to share our concerns."

Morrisons said it is encouraging its customers to use a sniff test on milk to help to reduce food waste in the home.

Milk is the third most wasted food and drink product in the UK, after potatoes and bread. Research shows fresh milk can often last a number of days past the ‘use by’ date shown on the bottle. However UK customers are routinely throwing away milk - as they incorrectly believe the milk is unsafe to drink.

A spokesman for Morrisons said: "Whilst we are removing the use by dates from our milk there will still be a best before date on our milk so the change won't create any issues for anyone with an impaired sense of smell.

"We would recommend anyone with an impaired sense of smell dispose of the milk once the best before date is reached. We have also contacted Fifth Sense to help them understand this and answer their concerns."

In response, Mr Boak said although he understands 'best before' dates will still be on the milk, Morrisons "specifically advised people to use a sniff test and have yet to provide any clarification around that, which is the issue we raised with them".