Best Before dates

BaldacchinoR

Heard recently, on TV news I think, that the EC is thinking about abolishing BB dates because so much food is being wasted as many people simply throw it away once it reaches the date.


BB dates simply mean the manufacturer recommends the item is eaten before the date to be at its best. But it can often still be eaten after the date; if it is fit for human consumption. Most people can tell if it is by smell, appearance and tasting a little of it, like people did before BB and "Use-By" dates came into use.


In fact many foods will keep for months after the date if unopened e.g. cream, butter, cheese, yoghurt, even though they sometimes have use-by dates or BB dates on them. This is because they are pasturised products i.e. heat-treated to kill the bugs. Same with things like fresh soups and sauces, in plastic tubs, which keep just as long as the baked beans or fruit you can now buy in plastic tubs instead of tins but they keep just as long as they do in tins.


You can freeze a lot of foods if they have reached or have nearly reached their BB/Use-By dates.


You can also cook such foods - effectively steralising them - to extend their life and keep them in the fridge or freezer.


Also dried foods keep well beyond the BB date, like pasta, rice, coffee, tea, packet soups and sauces.


Spoilage organisms need moisture, air and a sufficient temperature to spoil food, and so preserving methods seek to eliminate one or more of these 3 factors to prevent food from going off. The older the food is, then its texture or its taste may change or it may lose some of its vitamins and/or minerals, but in theory, it could be edible years after the BB date.