Eating food on best before date?

**Timbuk2** · 27-09-2009 8:39pm #1

You walk to your fridge, keen to eat those chicken tikka wraps that you know are in there.

But it says Best Before: [today's date]! On one hand, you don't want to get sick as you already took 3 days off work last week for a stomach bug, but on the other hand, you're hungry.

What would you do?

Whosbetter? · 27-09-2009 8:47pm

TBH, those 'best before' dates are only there to cover the shops & manufacturers.

If it looks alright & smells alright, work away.:)

brummytom · 27-09-2009 8:50pm

If it's over the 'Best Before', then it's probably fine. If it's over the Use-by I'd be a bit more cautious

I ate a bag of crisps today that were a month over the best before, tasted fine

Sharpshooter · 27-09-2009 8:51pm

Today's date food would be fine to eat today.

I would be wary of the product if it was chicken or pork though as they can go off very quickly.

SoWatchaWant · 27-09-2009 8:53pm

Yeah, I'd eat it. No big deal to it.

BaconZombie · 27-09-2009 8:54pm

Fresh meat will have a "Used By Date" no a "Best Before".

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Today's date food would be fine to eat today.

I would be wary of the product if it was chicken or pork though as they can go off very quickly.

WeeBushy · 27-09-2009 8:54pm

I like to treat the best before dates as a manufacture's suggestion rather than a guideline.

sxt · 27-09-2009 8:59pm

I threw out a pair of apples that I found hidden in a press . I had left there and forgotten about them for maybe 5 or 6 weeks ,They looked fine, had not decomposed at all. Threw them down the back of the garden as you do ,expecting birds to eat them or something . Months later they still look ripe:eek:

What the heck?

Exon · 27-09-2009 9:01pm

If it's just todays date it will be ok, they have to give themselves some leverage when setting dates so it should be ok for even another week!

Whosbetter? · 27-09-2009 9:07pm

I find it funny when they put 'use by' dates on bottled water.
WTF? It's been in the ground for eons!

Also, tinned food can last for decades.

Novella · 27-09-2009 9:10pm

Oh, I'd definitely eat it if it had today's date on it. That's no biggie at all at all.

January · 27-09-2009 9:12pm

Whosbetter? wrote: »

I find it funny when they put 'use by' dates on bottled water.
WTF? It's been in the ground for eons!

That's because there's been studies stating that after a certain amount of time, the chemicals from the plastic will break down and start to contaminate the water in the bottle if it's being reused. Not sure if it's true or not though!

m5ex9oqjawdg2i · 27-09-2009 9:13pm

What do you do? You use your common sence, that brain in your skull does have a purpose...

Hard to believe that we are considered a very intelligent species when the majority of us are that thick to make a simple decision... really.

WeeBushy · 27-09-2009 9:20pm

sxt wrote: »

I threw out a pair of apples that I found hidden in a press . I had left there and forgotten about them for maybe 5 or 6 weeks ,They looked fine, had not decomposed at all. Threw them down the back of the garden as you do ,expecting birds to eat them or something . Months later they still look ripe:eek: What the heck?

Definitely GM apples.

Whosbetter? · 27-09-2009 9:26pm

WeeBushy wrote: »

Definitely GM apples.

Or they could be plastic ones!:p

Pygmalion · 27-09-2009 9:47pm

Food decomposes at different rates depending on how it's stored, temperature etc.

The "Best Before:" date is usually "Worst case scenario it'll start to go off on this date:".

If it's a day or two over should be fine if it looks and smells ok.

Sharpshooter · 27-09-2009 9:48pm

BOFH_139 wrote: »

Fresh meat will have a "Used By Date" no a "Best Before".

Very similar meanings though.

Use by the 6th Nov:

Best before the 6th Nov:

Best before is usually a days leeway afaik.

BaconZombie · 27-09-2009 9:58pm

Best Before = Should be eaten by this date so it to taste and/or look it's best but still safe to eat.

Use By = Will only be guaranteed safe to eat upto this date.

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Very similar meanings though.

Use by the 6th Nov:

Best before the 6th Nov:

Best before is usually a days leeway afaik.

Sharpshooter · 27-09-2009 10:00pm

BOFH_139 wrote: »

Best Before = Should be eaten by this date so it to taste and/or look it's best but still safe to eat.

Use By = Will only be guaranteed safe to eat upto this date.

Not in my experience, so lets agree to differ on this one.

AnonoBoy · 27-09-2009 10:05pm

Oh for Jaysus sake. Just man up and eat the food OP.

Don't be such a crybaby about it.

BaconZombie · 27-09-2009 10:08pm

Since you have a Ban-Hammer in your hand, I'll agree. :pac:

Sharpshooter wrote: »

Not in my experience, so lets agree to differ on this one.

WaltKowalski · 27-09-2009 10:11pm

Best before doesn't mean bad after......

Sharpshooter · 27-09-2009 10:11pm

BOFH_139 wrote: »

Since you have a Ban-Hammer in your hand, I'll agree. :pac:

It's in Bret's hand actually, and no don't agree just because of that.:(

I did work somewhere a few years ago that involved meat and sell and use by dates so I do know what I am talking about.:pac:

Ruu_Old · 27-09-2009 10:13pm

Sure, your body can build up a resistance to that old mold, eat up chums!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 27-09-2009 10:16pm

Best before isn't a warning, it's advice that the product may not be as good (although completely safe) after the date on the packet.

Use by is a bit more definite, although the usually set it a couple of days before the actual use by date, just to give themselves some leaway.

**Timbuk2** · 28-09-2009 6:25am

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Oh for Jaysus sake. Just man up and eat the food OP.

Don't be such a crybaby about it.

Oh don't worry I ate it long before starting this thread

I hate throwing out food ([explanation]I used to be fat[/explanation)]

BaZmO* · 28-09-2009 8:00am

DEFINITELY DO NOT EAT THEM!

Everybody knows that if a product has a best before date for say the 29/09/09 that it will become rancid at the stroke of midnight 28/09/09. It may even blow up. Be really careful!

Kradock · 28-09-2009 8:18am

OP ,I presume you ate them and died as you didn't comeback to advise us all on whether Chicken Tikka Wraps play by the rules.

Turd Ferguson · 28-09-2009 9:04am

I think THIS will answer your question

pickarooney · 28-09-2009 10:24am

It's just 'BEST' before. It's 'not quite the best but still nto bad at all' for a while yet afterwards.

kingtut · 28-09-2009 12:34pm

Best before is fine, use by is not.

Best before means this product is tastiest / freshest / at its best before the date printed.

Use by date means do not consume or use the product after the date printed.

So yes eat stuff that is on or after its best before date (might not be the nicest) if you wish as long as the use date has not expired.

Eating food on best before date?

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