How fastidious are AHers about use by dates?

dr gonzo

I barely know how to cook so i'm quite nervous as a rule about use by dates due to the fact i dont know any better but it struck me that a lot of food could be wasted based on obsessive adherence to what can only be a relatively arbitrary date?

or am i way off and they should be followed to the day?

SafeSurfer

dr gonzo wrote: »

I barely know how to cook so i'm quite nervous as a rule about use by dates due to the fact i dont know any better but it struck me that a lot of food could be wasted based on obsessive adherence to what can only be a relatively arbitrary date?

or am i way off and they should be followed to the day?

Use by date - respect.

Best before date - not bad after date.

Fluorescence

Sniff test! I usually go by Use Before dates though, as I've found them to be mostly accurate in the past.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

dr gonzo wrote: »

I barely know how to cook so i'm quite nervous as a rule about use by dates due to the fact i dont know any better but it struck me that a lot of food could be wasted based on obsessive adherence to what can only be a relatively arbitrary date?

or am i way off and they should be followed to the day?

If it's a few days over and smells fine, yes. If it doesn't, no. Never been food poisoned.

jaffa20

If in doubt, throw it out. You can normally tell by the whiff

Rockery Woman

As far as I know "Use by dates" should be taken as the food is gone off - "Use by" is normally used on meat and dairy products.

"Best Before" dates on the other hand are a guidline that the food is basically past its best by the date printed. This food may be safe to eat after that date - just use your nose I suppose.

Dont take this as gospel though - but I think Im right on this one!

phasers

If something's been frozen I tend to ignore the dates, although generally nothing lasts long enough in my house to reach it's use by date

Shryke

I cook a good bit. I don't give too much heed to dates. As others have already said, smell test. If meat doesn't smell funky, then it's god damn not, just like my clothes.

PK2008

jaffa20 wrote: »

If in doubt, throw it out.

If its brown, flush it down

If its yellow, let it mellow

The Master

use by/best before date are like reading gambling odds in the bookies, take a punt! you never know your luck

seafood dunleavy

dr gonzo wrote: »

I barely know how to cook so i'm quite nervous as a rule about use by dates due to the fact i dont know any better but it struck me that a lot of food could be wasted based on obsessive adherence to what can only be a relatively arbitrary date?

or am i way off and they should be followed to the day?

Your auld one never goes off though.

Latchy

I do tend to use and consume most of my fresh food items shortly after purchase but not as fastidious to discard something simply because it's a few weeks out of date .Tinned items such as beans and packed food have a long shelf life , much longer than after the use by date and chest freezers are a godsend for longer periods of storage of course .

LambsEye

I read a book about a young fla who was a "fregan," and a "dumpster diver," where he only ate food that people threw out. Apparently best before dates are complete nonsense.

Like everyone else has said; you'd know by the smell.

brummytom

Yeah, I take notice of 'Use By' dates unless it's been frozen; and smell anything past the best before.

dsmythy

fas_ what now?

I'd never ignore a Use By date, you're talking about the likes of meat and milk here, things that could make you sick if they went rancid. You can sometimes get away with a Best Before provided you inspect the food first, but I'm still cautious of it.

dr gonzo

seafood dunleavy wrote: »

Your auld one never goes off though.

Uh huh...

CrazyRabbit

If bought in Tesco's, I only use it up to 3 days before the 'Use by' date. If there distribution centre management is as bad as their store management, then I need this extra safety net.

Tar.Aldarion

Don't even look at em really, just a rough guide, I look at the food itself

HoneyRyder

Um, I tend to go by the smell-by date as opposed to the sell-by date

K-9

Dairy products and meat I'd abide by.

Breads nope.

karlog

I'm pretty good when it comes to bread.

If it's soft eat it

If it's hard in the toaster then eat it

If it's green and spotty, eat it, and then go potty

Rubberlegs

Hate waste so if anything has gone past use by or best before, give it a cursory sniff and give it to OH. Hasn't killed him ....yet:D