Archive:Quick Questions on food safety / sell by / use by dates

mudgekin

I have regularly used SS a day or 2 out of date and I am sure that it wouldl ast much longer, Do the sniff and taste test just to be sure

CCP

underlay_guru wrote: »

Hi,

If you've got a cat, maybe try giving it a small piece?! If the cat is fine, you should be fine.

(Please not I am not promoting animal testing!)

I can see a problem with that plan - if the salmon isn't good then you've got a HUGE vet's bill (I don't think there's any such thing as a small vet's bill, to be honest!); if it is good then you'll have to put up with the cat begging for smoked salmon for the next two days!

(Yes, I've got a cat. Yes, I've fed him smoked salmon and regretted it after being pestered for days afterwards! )

valk_scot

Is it still sealed in a vacumn pack? In that case I can't think that it would have magically become deadly poison at the stroke of midnight. Give it a sniff to check though.

mummysaver

I'd use it! The dates generally have a safety margin built in.

If it smells fine and looks fine then try a bit (when the cat isn't around if you have one!) and if all okay then go ahead and cook with it.

MummyEm

If it smells ok, taste a small piece. You'll be able to tell if it's off, it's horrible ( past experience ) !!

Butterfly_Brain

If it looks okay and smells ok it should be fine - use by dates are set lower than they really have to be we didn't have use by dates in the 60's and 70's we used our eyes and noses to tell if anything was edible.

Confuzzled

give it a good sniff, whilst the smoked smell will be strong, the smell of salmon going off is similar to cat urine :eek: i'm pretty sure you wouldn't miss that smell but if you did then trying a small piece should clench it for you either way!

cooking-mama

hope im not too late,but you should never eat food past its use by date!,the use by date is for food safety,however it is usualy safe to eat food past its best before date,as this is a quality date,and yes the food may taste better before this date but it wont harm you by eating it past this date,but the opposite is true of a use by date,there is the potential for harm if you eat food after its use by date.!sniffing and looking wont tell you ifits safe or not as the bacteria that causes food poisoning are mainly odourless and not visible to the eye.
If your in doubt follow these guidelines from The food standards agency ;

http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/foodlabels/labellingterms/useby/

cooking-mama

sorry to go on,but i found thid by doing a search on Money saving expert main site,its from the Supermarket shopping section where Martins gives hints and tips on saving money in supermarkets,but also guidance regarding use by and best before date.

"Supermarkets usually stack from the back, so reach to the back of the shelves to find the longest 'use by' and 'best buys' dates.
Whether you're rummaging for reduced price goodies, or doing a clear out of stuff that's gone off, understanding labeling pays.

• The 'Use By' date: Chuck it immediately
  Use By means just that. Perishable food such as milk, fish and eggs that go off quickly and should be thrown out after this date; if not, they're a health risk.
• The 'Best Before' date: Still edible after "

chivers1977

cooking-mama wrote: »

sorry to go on,but i found thid by doing a search on Money saving expert main site,its from the Supermarket shopping section where Martins gives hints and tips on saving money in supermarkets,but also guidance regarding use by and best before date.

"Supermarkets usually stack from the back, so reach to the back of the shelves to find the longest 'use by' and 'best buys' dates.

Whether you're rummaging for reduced price goodies, or doing a clear out of stuff that's gone off, understanding labeling pays.

• The 'Use By' date: Chuck it immediately
  Use By means just that. Perishable food such as milk, fish and eggs that go off quickly and should be thrown out after this date; if not, they're a health risk.
• The 'Best Before' date: Still edible after "

I would never even look at the BBE date on milk. THe smell test on milk is all you need!