expiry dates

[4dogsagain]

This reinforces everything I have always thought about expiry dates:
http://southtips.com/food-expiration-da ... d-to-know/

[StokeySue]

They are not "a lie" and they are not, on the whole, "expiry dates", at least on food

Most dates are "SELL BY" , a guide for the store on stock rotation or "BEST BEFORE" dates - a guide for the consumer on when to start looking carefully at the product
In Germany the "BEST BT" date is actually labelled "Mindestens haltbar bis" (literally "can be kept at least until") which is perhaps clearer
None of these are "expiry dates"; they are just guidance
It is not an expiry date unless that's what it says

Pharmaceuticals do have expiry dates, and most of these should be taken seriously as we may actually only test for stability for the indicated time span (this applies particularly to anything sterile when issued)

[suffolk]

What a very odd website nothing but a vehicle for selling advertising space. There's no way of identifying the sources of information at all. I wouldn't give anything written on there any credence whatsoever.

[earthmaiden]

I think it is a known fact that much of today's food waste comes from people throwing away anything which is 'out of date'. As Sue says, 'sell by' or 'best before' are guidelines for using a product at it's optimum whereas 'use by' means that for some people (those with poor immune systems, pregnant etc) it could be very harmful to use after that date - and unless treated with some respect, such as with fish or meat, could be harmful to anyone.

For the rest of us a bit of common sense doesn't hurt but I have found that the guidelines are pretty good. It is annoying that people still throw away perfectly edible food though which will not harm them just because it has reached a 'best before' date.

[PatsyMFagan]

I have often wondered how the food that was being stamped 'Sell by; Best Before; Use By' knows that on the stroke of midnight, the parameters change. (a bit tongue in cheek here) I once had an acquaintance who would throw away the remains of a 2 litre bottle of milk the day before the 'Use By' date, claiming that it would be off the very next day..... I did suggest then she buy milk in smaller sizes, but her reasoning was that you can get a 2 litre container of milk far cheaper than buying in smaller volumes

[4dogsagain]

I have often found that milk, past it's "best" date by several days, is still fresh. I always use my nose as far as milk is concerned.

[aero280]

I just get OH to test for smell. My sense of smell is quite bad these days.

But the info I respect is the one that says something like : Keep refrigerated, use within three days of opening".

[karadekoolaid]

Hmm. Sell by dates. Evidently they were designed to avoid unnecessary problems, but I often wonder how, exactly, they are determined. Is it a scientific test, is it a calculated guess or is it a marketing ploy to get stuff sold as quickly as possible?
I`m very much aware of them, but I rarely take them at face value.
Cheese, for example..I`ve had some soft French cheeses in the fridge which I`ve used two or three weeks AFTER the sell-by date. They actually taste even better.
Tinned stuff? I`ve used products that are a few weeks past the date; some are fine, some are not.
I follow aero`s suggestion; if it smells bad, or it looks "runny" - chuck it out. If not, taste it. If it tastes odd, chuck it out. If not, eat it.

[PatsyMFagan]

I never check sell by dates on tins .... however I never buy any that are dented

[StokeySue]

I do find them useful - I get through stuff slowly, and sometime I notice that eh milk is 3 weeks past the date in the bottle, and should be approached with caution

No idea how they are calculated, but assume there is a margin for error, as no manufacturer wants a reputation for selling food that goes off easily

What does annoy me is the amount of time I spend looking for them - tiny print on label "see neck of bottle", then find it is in little dots well below the neck
If the pharmaceutical industry can print a code number accurately on each individual capsule, using a specialised ink jet, then can't the food industry design a label with a box for the date & print the date into it accurately and clearly using the same technology? I suspect the labels are put on later, so they don't get tousled on the production line, but it can't be insuperable.

[4dogsagain]

I think that the term "expiry date" is a generic term that covers use by, best by, use before etc.

[Lokelani]

I too think it is important to emphasise the difference between use by dates on fresh foods & best before dates on dried foods etc. As we all know, generally speaking one is concerned with food safety and the latter with food quality eg. something that might just go stale. I think the problem with food waste is that not everyone is aware of the difference. Articles that make sweeping statements about ignoring them all food dates doesn't educate sadly.

I also follow a bit of common sense that a day or two over on a three day use by date is a greater risk proportionately than a day or two over on something with a use by date of a month or two.