Sell by v use by on food

qetu1357

According to the the Times:- "research found that millions of people did not know the difference between 'sell-by' and 'use-by' dates (on food)"

Is this true and if so, are these people allowed to vote!?

mrcol1000

qetu1357 wrote: »

According to the the Times:- "research found that millions of people did not know the difference between 'sell-by' and 'use-by' dates (on food)"

Is this true and if so, are these people allowed to vote!?

If your food has a date on then lot of people won't take the risk of eating it after this date regardless of what the date means. Instead of confusing people with two dates maybe they should just have the one and retaillers can work on the assumption they shouldn't sell food two days before the use by date.

If thats alright for you people with superior intelligence of course.....

qetu1357

mrcol1000 wrote: »

If your food has a date on then lot of people won't take the risk of eating it after this date regardless of what the date means. Instead of confusing people with two dates maybe they should just have the one and retaillers can work on the assumption they shouldn't sell food two days before the use by date.

If thats alright for you people with superior intelligence of course.....

I don't think I am superior or of superior intelligence because I understand the difference between sell by (is that when the item has to be sold by?) or use by (is that when the item has to be used by?).

I just think if you don't, there is no way you can dumb down so they can understand.

Laz123

It's just that some folks need more education than others. We're all thick in different areas.

Dr.Rock

It's a bit more complicated than it first appears. Firstly the dates are irrelevant if the food hasn't been stored correctly. For perishable foods the sell-by and use-by dates are dates that are calculated by which the food will have the maximum number of colonies of bacteria growing on it deemed acceptable by the individual retailer. They specify what the thresholds are to the manufacturer who, taking into account the various stages of the production process, assign these dates based on the production process. These are regularly checked by microbiologists and if you are ever unlucky to purchase a product that goes off before its use by date then either the retailer or yourself haven't stored it properly.
As different retailers have different specifications, it's possible that a product for M&S could have a use by date several days earlier than the same product made on the same day for Tesco.

mrcol1000

qetu1357 wrote: »

I don't think I am superior or of superior intelligence because I understand the difference between sell by (is that when the item has to be sold by?) or use by (is that when the item has to be used by?).

I just think if you don't, there is no way you can dumb down so they can understand.

I think its very confusing having two different dates on food. I know the difference but I can fully appericate why a lot of people don't understand the difference. Its a really stupid idea having two dates on food and its irrevelant what they mean and a lot of people even the educated ones will go for the early date to play safe.

I think its very patronising to start making fun or insulting people that do not understand the difference. I do not think its dumbing down to make it clearer to people when they can and can not eat something. The current system is obviously not working (although I suspect the amount of food wasted is very little to do with people not understand use by and sell by dates)

Laz123

Also most foodies will advise us to use our noses. It's the most failsafe way to find out if food has gone off.

freeoffers

The dates to me are irrelevant. I'll use food after the use-by date if it smells and looks ok but if it smells gross and has mould i dont care if it is within the sell-by/use-by date. I use the dates as guides only and I like to think I know a bit about food.

BTW the two dates are not confusing. I just dont understand this country sometimes, ppl can be so thick. Maybe if people actually read the labels on food to see what junk they were putting inside them they'd not have problems with a simple sell-by/use-by date.

Jeez, come on people, its not so hard!

Takoda

freeoffers wrote: »

The dates to me are irrelevant. I'll use food after the use-by date if it smells and looks ok but if it smells gross and has mould i dont care if it is within the sell-by/use-by date. I use the dates as guides only and I like to think I know a bit about food.

BTW the two dates are not confusing. I just dont understand this country sometimes, ppl can be so thick. Maybe if people actually read the labels on food to see what junk they were putting inside them they'd not have problems with a simple sell-by/use-by date.

Jeez, come on people, its not so hard!

Yeah I agree totally. The only thing I use dates for is to decide whether to buy it or not. I tend not to buy stuff without at least a couple of days to go on the use by date. Once I have it I make up my own mind like you've described.

worbikeman

The dates mean nothing (provided you dont have a prior health condition). Shops are over-cautious with it, and food production is mega-hygienic now. Eyes and nose tell you all you need to know. In any case, why not give the old immune system a little workout from time to time?

Laz123

I actually prefer to buy meat etc which has been price-reduced due to the sell by date. I can eat better for less. As long as I either cook and eat it the same day or freeze it, or freeze it raw, it's fine.