Food beyond its sell by date.

Eggs are fine more than a week after the date on the packet. I regularly keep tomatoes on the kitchen table days past the printed date because otherwise they just don't ripen, even when they look red enough. Tins and jars are safe long past the sell-by date so long as they have a proper seal and that seal is maintained, and I have only found one case in which quality suffered even a year after. Dry sausage can be kept uncut in the refrigerator indefinitely. My husband and I can tell milk is turning even a day or two before the printed date, we won't buy chicken at all the day before, we buy fish only on the day or day after its arrival at the shop, we don't buy mince or sausage or any other prepared meat too close to the use-by date, and we will buy solid meat such as cuts of beef or pork on the date so long as they look and smell perfect (no sealed packages!) and we are using them immediately. I agree that fruit and veg is fine until it shows signs of deterioration. Block cheese, properly kept, is usable in a pinch so long as you cut off the dry and moldy bits. We go through flour quickly enough now that we don't have to worry, but when I was a child my mother would keep it until it got bugs (ew). Fresh kimchi bought from the shop that makes it literally must be kept a week after purchase in the fridge before it is ready to eat, two weeks or more before it is "old" and ready to be used in soup. What can be kept pretty much indefinitely: sealed containers of white rice, pearl barley, dried veg/herbs/spices (until they begin to lose color and flavor or pull moisture from the air), miso (in the fridge), dried pulses.

My husband, who has worked in a grocery, points out that the "sell-by date", the "use-by date", and the "best before" date are three completely different things, in principle as well as in practice.

JupiterKid wrote: »

I've often drank milk that was a couple of days beyond its sell by date and it was perfectly fine. I've heard that yoghurt and eggs are also OK to eat a few days after their use by date but for certain foods, like chicken, fish and pork, it's a big no no.

So what do AHers think? Would you bin something a day beyond its sell by date or would you consider this a bit of a waste of money and check the food item ( by looking at its colour, smelling it etc) before deciding it was ok to eat?

My ex was paranoid about sell by dates - the minute an item went past the date he would bin it. My father was of the opinion that if it smells, feels and looks fine, then it would be ok to eat as long as it wasn't fish (esp shellfish) or chicken.

Thoughts?

Your ex got rid of everything the minute it passed it's sell by date? And now he's your ex. There could be a connection somewhere :P

While I was over visiting my mum in Aug she had lidl own brand chocolate corner yoghurts. Similar to muller corners.

Anyway I noticed the date on them was June !!!!! I asked her if she was crazy!!!! She said their fine , no dairy in them . try one .

I tried one and have to be honest she was right , tasted and was 100% scared me a bit . the shyte in food today .

I take the dates as a guideline. The producers have to be cautious.
Your own senses of smell and taste should be enough in most cases.
What did people do before these dates were brought in....used common sense.

kylith wrote: »

I also rely on smell and it has yet to fail me. Best Before dates are just that; the date before which they reckon it was at its best. Use by I give a bit more credence to. I get a lot of eggs from my brother, who has chickens, so they get the float test before I use them. Everything else gets a good smelling and visual inspection.

Them chickens must have a pain in thier hole with you checking to see if they float every time you want an egg.

Mixed leaves are a mystery to me. Sometimes it says eat within 24 or 48 hours of opening. Why they are only a type of lettuce or spinach or some other leabe. Why such a short time?

Found a mint mousse in the back of the fridge yesterday which expired on the 16th. After debating for a few minuets, I tasted it. Slightly off. Could have been fine, or the mint could have been masking the taste of death. Chucked it anyway.

Most foods get the sniff test. If it doesn't smell like a used coffin and doesn't have blue hair, it's probably fine. A couple times I've had chicken beyond it's BBD, but usually I use meats up or chuck it straight away.

Yep. Was just sat here, reading through this thread. Two questions come to mind:

1. How the f**k did the human race last so long, without 'Dates' printed on their food?

2. Do ye all live in cities? Shopping at Tosco, or what ever?

I eat very little 'processed' food. My instincts guide me. I've absolutely no idea what the date on that pot of Black Pepper might be.