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

Steve059

IMO, the quinoa should've been thrown out before it's sell by date. I know that it's ever so good for you, but it has all the taste appeal of frog spawn.

Seriously, as they're unopened, I can't see any reason why both shouldn't still be OK.

Sell by and other dates are worked out by lawyers, not cooks.

BitterAndTwisted

Erm, there is no "sell by" date for dried goods. It will be a "best before" date. If they have been stored in a cool, dark and dry place they should be edible for quite a long time past that date. The "best before" date means that the manufacturer can guarantee the food will still be in optimum condition for taste and quality up until that date but most certainly will not mean that they will be inedible after it.

Use and enjoy any time you like

Honeythief

Sell By dates are for the sellers, not the consumers. If it looks/smells okay and feels okay then go for it.

rossi8c

Then I shall give them a go.

Thanks for the replies.

Pink.

rossi8c wrote: »

Then I shall give them a go.

Thanks for the replies.

As you have now decided to use them I've added your thread to our existing one on food safety as your question may help others.

Pink

daisiegg

Need some sensible advice please!

Took a WeightWatchers ready meal out of the freezer yesterday morning. It is piri piri chicken or something. At about 2pm I decided I wasn't going to use it, and put it in the fridge - it was still very cold and slightly frozen at the bottom.

For various reasons I probably won't use it today either.

Would it be ok tomorrow evening? So, it spent around 6 hours at room temperature on Monday morning and then was put in the fridge (still very cold) - would you eat it on Wednesday evening?

Thanks!

daisiegg

Anyone? Pretty please?

honeythewitch

I would. I am sure it will be fine because the temperature was cool when it was out of the fridge, and most things stay fresh for a few days in the fridge.

hilstep2000

I would eat it, I've put things back in the freezer half defrosted before now!

meg72

I would eat it.