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

yorkshirejen

Whilst I would always try to use something within the use-by date I am certainly more guided by my senses than I used to be. I do have quite a low threshold for throwing things though - particularly meat and fish - if I am slightly concerned.

Using eggs from February wouldn't concern me in the slightest if they smelt ok!!

Granny didn't have dates stamped on the shell so I use them as a guide combined with a bit of old fashioned common sense - it works both ways, if something was in date but smelt / tasted off I wouldn't use it just because the packet said it was ok

Jen

greyteam1959

Flippin 'eck somebody here using that old fashioned common sense !!!!!!!!
Three of the finest senses given to man ( or woman) touch taste and smell.
I am the same if it looks Ok tastes OK then its OK by me whatever the date.
Having said that I have seen things in all the major supermarkets well in date and I for one would have binned them.

jrrowleyws

stressedoutmumof1 wrote: »

A friend once told me that farmer's only get paid for their meat (ie chicken) once it is sold at the till. If it hasn't sold by it's use by date it then gets taken off the shelves and out of it's packaging and taken to auction - where the likes of say Birds Eye buy it for their frozen pies and curries etc. After that (2 - 3 days later) all the rest that hasn't sold goes to another auction where Chinese and Indian restaurants but the meat for their kitchens. So I would say where meat is concerned if it smells okay then use it.

Thats not true at Sainsburys, all out of date or damaged products are put through they system, and eventually frozen and then a special lorry comes round and collects the meat and fish waste. Out of date gets mixed with stuff thats been involved in a chiller breakdown etc..

You can usually tell meat by the look and smell, but another good test is touch, meat tends to go slimy when off, especially beef.

immoral_angeluk

I normally shake eggs to see if they're ok. If they rattle then I don't use them! lol!

Hadley

At sommerfield out of date meat and all other products are put through the system and then thrown straight in the bin.

chipper

I am currently using a Burgen Cranberry & Linseed loaf with a sell by date of 11th March.

I can't see any mould, it smells OK and tastes fine.

I bought it in Tesco's in the reduced to clear section as I wanted to try it after hearing fellow Moneysavers rave about it.

I am guessing it lacks the ingredients that normally allow bread to go blue and furry.

Cat72

I always worry about food sell & best before dates.I bought burgers with cheese yesterday reduced tending to cook them for my oh last night.However I wasnt well and didnt make dinner.The burgers have a use by /sell by date of yesterday the 13th .I normally would throw them out but I am wondering if it would be ok to eat them today or should they be binned ( hating wasting food ! ) like I usually do ? thanks x

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there cat72

If they are for you i think they should be fine..if it was for little ones i probably wouldnt risk it

The best before and sell before dates i tend to ignore as they are guidelines..the use by date is a little more iffy but for the sake of 1 day i would use it...the only thing im really carefull with is prawns/seafood....other than that if it smells okay and the tubs havent "blown" i use it

comping_cat

I would eat it, the best before dates are there as a guide, after that date the food will still be ok, but not necessarily at its best. Use by is a bit more risky, but i would say, as long as it looks alright, smells alright and when cooked, tastes alright, then it will be fine. I have a suspicion (sp) that shops have shorter use by dates to protect themselves, they wouldnt want anything going off before its use by date!!!!

skyepark

best before is ok to ignore use before is not if it smells and looks ok its alright