Buying reduced price food.

wornoutmumoftwo

I love the fridge section in my local supermarket where they sell cheap food but wondered what the shelf life in there should be, as more often then not you get only 24 hours to eat the stuff so I rarely buy out of it as i'm worried about poisoning us all with out of date food (meat etc - not the veg).

shikoku

I've pretty much stopped buying this type of thing after one or two 'disappointments' after all if you have to throw it away it's not a bargain.

juliapenguin

I've never had food poisoning and I've often bought reduced meat - if you can't eat it the same day you can freeze it, but we also need to remember that use by dates are a recent invention and often the food is perfectly safe afterwards for a day or two BUT you need to use your nose and your common sense to work out what is safe to eat. I never buy reduced meat if it actually LOOKS old - maybe someone else can describe better than I can what fresh meat should look like! I'm in the middle of doing some proofreading and I've lost the ability to think!

wornoutmumoftwo

Forgot to mention as well that the reduce price isn't much considering the lack of shelf life involved.

Browntoa

I just check if the meat/fish can be frozen , if it can it goes in the freezer and I work out what to do with it later.

most food has 2 dates anyway , the "use by" and the "best before"

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/foodlabels/asksamlabelterms/#A220019

What do 'use by', 'best before' and 'display until' mean?

'Use by' means exactly that. You shouldn't use any food or drink after the end of the 'use by' date shown on the label. Even if it looks and smells fine, using it after this date could put your health at risk and cause food poisoning.

You will usually find a 'use by' date on food that goes off quickly, such as milk, soft cheese, ready-prepared salads and smoked fish.

It's also important to follow any storage instructions given on food labels, otherwise the food might not last until the 'use by' date. Usually food with a 'use by' date needs to be kept in the fridge.

'Best before' dates are usually used on foods that last longer, such as frozen, dried or canned foods. It should be safe to eat food after the 'best before' date, but the food will no longer be at its best. After this date, the food might begin to lose its flavour and texture.

However, you shouldn't eat eggs after the 'best before' date. This is because eggs can contain salmonella bacteria, which could start to multiply after this date.

Some food labels also give instructions such as 'eat within a week of opening' and it's important to follow these instructions. But remember, if the 'use by' date is tomorrow, then you must use the food by the end of tomorrow, even if the label says 'eat within a week of opening' and you have only opened the food today.

'Display until' and 'sell by' dates are instructions for shop staff to tell them when they should take a product off the shelves

Penelope_Penguin

juliapenguin wrote: »

maybe someone else can describe better than I can what fresh meat should look like!

Fresh beef should be dark, with a bluish tinge. What you see in the supermarket, ie bright read, shows meat that hasn't been sufficiently hung, so will be tough as old boots :rolleyes:

Penny. x