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Use by / Best before dates
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
in General Chat
Do you always stick to 'use by' and 'best before' dates? If you have exceptions what are they?
Just curious really, as my grandparents always come out with something along the lines of 'we never had sell by dates when I was younger and it never did us any harm' but then they say that for everything!
I will occasionaly eat the odd thing if it is a day over but no more than that.
Just curious really, as my grandparents always come out with something along the lines of 'we never had sell by dates when I was younger and it never did us any harm' but then they say that for everything!
I will occasionaly eat the odd thing if it is a day over but no more than that.
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If it says best before i don't mind going a couple of days over, but never with raw/chilled meats and stuff because that's what leads to food poisining and other nastys.
Dairy: stick to use by date but if it smells rank before that I won't eat it.
Fresh produce: when it looks mouldy or smells rank I don't eat it
Prepared food: Stick to the date but there is a bit of leeway if it smells ok.
Dairy and meat is a no for me
Use by dates are somewhat different - generally, take them as an absolute. But I'll sniff milk after the date and if it passes my test, I'll still use it
You can eyeball fruit and veg and tell if they're still ok.
Tinned foods shouldn't go off unless the tin is dented. Don't buy dented tins.
Though obviously not things like milk, yoghurts etc. I was violently sick once from eating beans that had been left in the fridge for a couple of days, but that's the only problem I've had.
really? I always do that argh.
waste not want not and all that ;:p
I know, it was very weird. It's only happened the once, and I still do it (foolishly, probably) because old cold beans are
Use by are usually fine if you can freeze them on the same day of purchase.
Anything fresh like fish, meat, milk etc will only be bought & consumed within its use by date. I belived that fresh is best so buying fresh & freezing is a pointless process.
Working for a supermarket the fresh fish has 5 days life but then if it's overwrapped & merchandised along with the pre-pack fish then it only has 2 days life even though it's good for 5 days.
if it's something relatively harmless, like crisps, or bread, then i might risk it (although would be worried).
raw meat, or milk or soft cheese i not only will not eat them past the bb date, i don't like it eat them if the date is that day, or 1 day away.
i'm always rooting around for the stuff with the longest dates
</crazy>
im really fussy about milk if it doesnt pass the sniff test even if it has a week to go it goes in the bin (i usually think it smells funny about 3 days before the rest of the house so i spend 1/2 mylife buying milk)
for things like cooked meat, ready meals ect i check the date and if it looks ok then i will tend to cook it but as im eating it because i know it could be off i convince myself it tastes funny and end up binning it
not really, im like that. drives my boyfriend and family mad because i do actually check everything before i eat it. i dont know why im like that, i think it's because i was poisoned by an out of date mini milk once..
i'm the same.
i wouldn't do it with crisps or bread though. crisps have quite a long shelf life as it is. and i hate stale/slightly stale bread.
i'm worse with fresh produce like milk though. :yuck:
Didn't do any harm mind.
well, maybe thats exaggerating but best before/useby dates dont bother me. If it looks and smells ok, then ill eat it no problem.
Ive got a chocolate mousse in the fridge that was best before the beginning of feb. i really should eat it soon or itll be no good!
I get the idea that use by dates are getting shorter and shorter. For instance, I can't find any packets of crisps now that are more than six months ahead of the date, i.e. if I bought one now, it's unlikely to have a best before date much further than September. Are use-by/best before dates getting shorter, and if so, why?