Do you pay attention to best before dates?

[Natasha]

I don't follow them religiously. There was an article released not too awful long ago that basically said those dates are just arbitrary dates, LOL Anywho, I will smell whatever and make sure it doesn't smell bad and, obviously, if it has mold on it it gets thrown out. I freeze all my meats, so those are always fine.

I did get a giggle out of something Emeril pointed out on day, though. He was talking about how people open up the egg cartons in the store and make sure that they're not cracked but will neglect to look at the "best before" date on them. Ever since that I've made sure to check b/c, sure enough, I never did before. LOL

 

[JoeCool10]

If it's canned or frozen, I might use as long as it isn't TOO far past due. If you leave something frozen too long it'll get frostbite which makes it taste horrible. I don't know what happens to canned foods if they're too far past their dates, but the cans can sometimes burst and leave this black goo around the edges. It's nasty.

 

[Azazel]

I pour milk out on the date on the jug.

 

[JoeCool10]

​

:nod::nod::nod:

 

[SouthOfHeaven]

i'm really a worrier about exp dates and sell by dates.. i will not touch milk past the sell by date.. period lol

 

[AnitaBeer]

I did get a giggle out of something Emeril pointed out on day, though. He was talking about how people open up the egg cartons in the store and make sure that they're not cracked but will neglect to look at the "best before" date on them. Ever since that I've made sure to check b/c, sure enough, I never did before. LOL

This makes me LOL because I'm so picky about everything, but I never check the eggs either. HAHA I too will have to start looking at the dates.

 

[Dana]

yes i do

 

[pjbleek]

always found it funny to see these people go through the dairy products looking for the oldest date they can find and then ask if there is anything "older" out back. then going to the store and see no rotation done by those who are paid to do this...

 

[HK]

Milk is one the few products that seems to really obey it's sell-by-date. You don't get much leeway with milk :ninja

 

[purpledove]

I look @ expiration dates on most things but am not anal about it However i get wary with highly perishable items like milk products etc. I also do a lot of looking and smelling to check if the food/item is still good

 

[Tangerine]

Dairy is really the only products in the US food chain that has actual "expiration" dates. And those are a "sell by" date, not a true "expiration." USDA code says they should still be safe to consume for up to 7 days after that date, but we all know that's not always the case - especially with milk. Temperature fluctuations from cooler doors being opened frequently in the stores can reduce the shelf life.

Everything else is a "best by" date which is mostly an arbitrary guesstimate. The reality of perishable foods is that you pretty can ALWAYS tell by it's appearance and/or smell what kind of condition it's in. An off smell is the best indicator. I'm not aware of any food-borne illness you could get from food being "out of date" that you wouldn't CLEARLY be able to notice because of smell. Even mold - though ugly and unappealing - won't make most people sick. Hell, molds are essential parts of LOTS of foods. Common molds on breads and cheeses probably wouldn't taste great, but you probably wouldn't have much to worry about if you DID manage to eat some.

Pretty much anything canned or vaccum sealed would always be safe. You might notice "stale" characteristics of dry foods, but no dangers of illness.

In my "professional" opinion of course...

 

[HK]

The only thing I really dislike about bread going off is that right before it starts to get mouldy, it develops a weird pre-mould smell

So Tang.... I could eat mould, and be fine?

*runs to kitchen*

 

[purpledove]

Dairy is really the only products in the US food chain that has actual "expiration" dates. And those are a "sell by" date, not a true "expiration." USDA code says they should still be safe to consume for up to 7 days after that date, but we all now that's not always the case - especially with milk. Temperature fluctuations from cooler doors being opened frequently in the stores can reduce the shelf life.

Everything else is a "best by" date which is mostly an arbitrary guesstimate. The reality of perishable foods is that you pretty can ALWAYS tell by it's appearance and/or smell what kind of condition it's in. An off smell is the best indicator. I'm not aware of any food-borne illness you could get from food being "out of date" that you wouldn't CLEARLY be able to notice because of smell. Even mold - though ugly and unappealing - won't make most people sick. Hell, molds are essential parts of LOTS of foods. Common molds on breads and cheeses probably wouldn't taste great, but you probably wouldn't have much to worry about if you DID manage to eat some.

Pretty much anything canned or vaccum sealed would always be safe. You might notice "stale" characteristics of dry foods, but no dangers of illness.

In my "professional" opinion of course...

:homo: I'll listen to the expert :thumbup

The only thing I really dislike about bread going off is that right before it starts to get mouldy, it develops a weird pre-mould smell

So Tang.... I could eat mould, and be fine?

*runs to kitchen*

There's some truth to what you say (highlighted) :nod:

Don't you now that antibiotcs are produced by molds? check this site out

http://www.bacteriamuseum.org/cms/How-We-Fight-Bacteria/antibiotics.html

 

[HK]

Yeah but loads of useful things have roots in awful :eek

I feel like I'm developing the idea that eating mould will in fact help me fight disease :ninja

 

[purpledove]

Yeah but loads of useful things have roots in awful :eek

I feel like I'm developing the idea that eating mould will in fact help me fight disease :ninja

I've had that cross my mind many times :24:

So i guess in moderation :unsure:

 

[Tangerine]

Yeah but loads of useful things have roots in awful :eek

I feel like I'm developing the idea that eating mould will in fact help me fight disease :ninja

How do you think antibiotics were discovered?

The human body is a miracle factory of protecting itself. The immune system is one of nature's most wonderous things. It bothers me a LOT that we have, as a society, allowed our red-tape regulations and germophobe mindset lead to a place where we actually do ourselves more harm than good. From the tons of articficial preservatives to the anti-bacterial soap craze, we're slowly eradicating the bacteria sources from our daily lives that BUILD the immune system. And don't EVEN get me started on the billions of dollars worth of anti-biotics that doctors hand out to people who DON'T have any form of bacterial illness... which does nothing to make them get better but steadily weakens the effectiveness of the anti-biotics themselves. It's a path that could well lead to a very serious health epidemic someday when a nasty bug comes along and we have nothing to treat it.

 

[Mystic]

We don't have a freezer so we buy food on a weekly basis and attempt to use it all before it goes off. There have definitely been times when the best before date was two days previous and we end up eating something anyway because it smells and tastes fine :ninja so far, no deaths.

Do you stretch the date you can eat something by, or throw things out as soon as that date passes?

Not only do i look at the best before, i also smell it. If it doesn't smell bad i use it.

 

[MoonOwl]

I just made a batch of blueberry muffin mix that had a 'best before' in 2009. It's still yummy

Good to know....

 

[brieze]

I don't go by the best by date. Expiration date.. then I start paying attention.

 

[Siphorous]

Milk is one the few products that seems to really obey it's sell-by-date. You don't get much leeway with milk :ninja

Cravendale. Once opened, it can last (if I don't consume it) over a week and a half before it starts to get smelly.