Use by date on food

Mrs_Arkwright

You know when they put a use by date on food, does it really really definitely have to be used by that date, or do they put a date a day or two before it would really go off, just to cover themselves?

tim_n

No, generally the food with use by dates should definately be used by those dates without exceptions. It's your call of course, but generally the prepacked products are rolling in bacteria etc as they've been prepared in enviroments where plenty of bacteria live. Manufacturers measure the time and put a good guess down. You have to judge food bit by bit to work it out.

Sell by dates are entirely different however.

Churchmouse

I'll probably get shot down for this, but I don't always 100 % adhere to use by dates!

Depends what it is of course. Chicken and pork, I'll view with a degree of suspicion. Other stuff I'll allow a day, sometimes two, leeway. Look our grandmothers relied on their eyes and noses. Surely the manufacturer has to build in a little leeway? Will it really go from fine at 11.59 pm Monday to poisonous at 12.01 am Tuesday?

Also I've noticed that whenever I buy milk in M&S ( not that often, I promise!) it never has as long a use by date as say milk from Sainsbury. I just think Marks are a bit more cautious.

Just one last point, my fridge runs very cold, in fact meat in the cold meat store within it has been known to freeze!! I think that means I am storing at optimum storage.

Of course like a lot of people, when I'm talking in the abstract it's easy to forget what has use by dates and what has best before dates!! What I do adhere to 100% is when it says once opened use within xx days and keep refridgerated etc

squeaky

Here's the Food Standards Agency information on use by dates:-

Food Standard Agency

Mrs_Arkwright

Churchmouse wrote:

Surely the manufacturer has to build in a little leeway? Will it really go from fine at 11.59 pm Monday to poisonous at 12.01 am Tuesday?

That is totally what Mr A says - 'it's not suddenly going to go green and mouldy at midnight!'

mirakl

I'm right behind Churchmouse on this (in case she gets shot down you can hit her first )

In all seriousness use yer nose! Be realistic, look at the product - does it look fine?, think about what sort of bacteria it's prone to, smell it, if everything looks and smells fine and you have a bad feeling about it don't use it, but I don't immediately bin things past their use by date.

tim_n

Well obviously it's not going to suddenly go off... but things like rice for instance is very prone to infection etc. Just use common sense and be careful! I prefer not to take the risk at all having opened up meat on several occasions which is already off.

Mrs_Arkwright

It seems Ok so I'm going to risk it. Besides, I could do with losing a few pounds so a bout of food poisoning won't be that much of a disaster:D

COOLTRIKERCHICK

another bit of food for thought (excuse the pun..)... i have bought stuff still in date and when i have opened it it has been off....so as everyone has said use your instincts..... sell by dates and use by dates have only been in use since the late 70's early 80's....so what did people used to do before that.....
be sensible....

Churchmouse

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote:

another bit of food for thought (excuse the pun..)... i have bought stuff still in date and when i have opened it it has been off....so as everyone has said use your instincts..... sell by dates and use by dates have only been in use since the late 70's early 80's....so what did people used to do before that.....
be sensible....

So totally agree!! Yet if you went by the instructions you could use it! Madness or what?

Just think the bottom line is when in doubt, chuck it out!

Kazonline

Another thing to be aware of is the difference betwee 'Use by' and 'best before end' - the first being used on products like meat that are likely to go 'off' and make you ill, and BBE just means it mightn't taste as nice/perform the same (at least that's my understanding)
I agree with Church Mouse and Cooltrickerchic (and mirakl hidding behind CM ) dates on packages are a great guide, but ultimately you need to check the product yourself.
During summer meat etc might not last up to the date because of the excess heat it gets during transport home from the Supermarket unless you take extra care (coolbags & blocks etc)
HTH
Kaz x