Do you follow Use by and Sell by Dates, and other food safety issues

magni

Do you use up stuff that is out of date? Do some things keep better past their use by date than others? My OH won't eat anything that is a minute past it's use by date:eek: but I regularly do (actually so does he but he doesn't know it;) ). So what do you all do?

Sorry if this has been covered before. I did a search and couldn't find anything:o

celyn90

To be fair I'll eat it if it looks okay and smells okay. I'm a bit more wary with things like soft cheeses, but on the whole I don't throw much away. With vegtables, especially if I buy them loose, they have no date, so why is there a date on the plastic bag of potatoes?

In the past I've had to decant things into plastic boxes to hide the use by dates :rolleyes:

randomtask_2

Are you referring to by "Use by" or "Best Before" dates? With the latter, I'd be more prepared to take the risk, especially if the item is getting a good cooking, such as the jar of wholegrain mustard in my fridge that has long passed it's use by date...only get's used to glaze roast beef or lamb, but I'll keep using it 'til it's finished.

Jo6673

I'll risk anything for a couple of days except milk, bit funny about that!!!

helping_hubby

I have to be a bit careful because I can't smell, so if my hubbys not around I'll tend to bin meat/eggs/milk than risk it. I personally think a couple of days or so is OK, depending on the food.

I'd be more careful with prawns, and I'm strict with cooked leftovers.

buxtonrabbitgreen

celyn90 wrote: »

To be fair I'll eat it if it looks okay and smells okay. I'm a bit more wary with things like soft cheeses, but on the whole I don't throw much away. With vegtables, especially if I buy them loose, they have no date, so why is there a date on the plastic bag of potatoes?

In the past I've had to decant things into plastic boxes to hide the use by dates :rolleyes:

I do exactly the same

magni

randomtask wrote: »

Are you referring to by "Use by" or "Best Before" dates? With the latter, I'd be more prepared to take the risk, especially if the item is getting a good cooking, such as the jar of wholegrain mustard in my fridge that has long passed it's use by date...only get's used to glaze roast beef or lamb, but I'll keep using it 'til it's finished.

What is the difference?:o

helping_hubby

used by means use by and best before means it tastes best before that date?

newleaf

If it looks and smells OK I'll use it. I am very robust!

comping_cat

Best before is purely a guide to when you should use something - it should be perfectly ok to use after the date, but it might not be as good quality.

Use by is the date that you should use it by, if you use it after that date it could be off, so not necessarily safe to eat.

I will add, that shops do put quick use by dates on their products, as they do have to protect themselves, if you ate something within its use by date and then fell ill, you could go back to the shop and complain. You prob would be ok to eat something a few days after the use by date because of the shops caution (if it smells ok, looks ok and tastes ok, you are normally ok) but it would be your own risk.

Eccle_2

I go by how things smell and look, I'm not worried at all if it's a bit over the date