DreamTheaterForums.org Dream Theater Fan Site
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tick on February 28, 2014, 09:20:52 AM
-
As a kid growing up generally there were no expiration dates on canned food like soup or veggies. Now pretty much all canned food has an expiration date.
I noticed during cleaning out my food pantry just how much stuff had expired. Kind of sucks to throw stuff out and it makes me rethink the way we stock up in the future.
I guess my thought is this. Are these expiration labels legit, and should have been on stuff all along? Or is it a brilliant way to get a consumer to throw stuff that’s probably still good out and buy more.
We always stock up on so much and yesterday we tossed a lot of money away.
-
I use my own judgement with expiration dates. I would ignore them on canned goods, and I regularly go past the expiration date on milk by as much as 5 days, sometimes more depending on smell. For meats I try to eat them with a few days of buying, or freezing them when I get home.
-
The wording almost all of them use is "best before", which yeah, just means they want you throw out stuff earlier.
You know, there should be a website telling you how much longer you can reasonably safely eat an item past its expiration date.
-
Depends on what sort of food it is. If it's meat or dairy, I don't fuck around with expiration dates (of course I'm in a significantly different situation than most). Canned stuff tends to be more about the condition of the can. Swollen, dented, rusted: dumpster time. Frozen stuff is the same way. Does it smell like it's been frozen since the ice age? I served a friend up a can of Coke that'd been in my fridge for 5 years (with informed consent, of course) and she didn't have a problem with it; wasn't even flat.
-
Pretty sure it's best to use one's own judgement. It depends on the food itself, if the date on the expiration is actually dated correctly and/or was applied at the time when the food was still fresh (this happened a shitload when I worked at Randall's...always re-dating foods...and being told by management that it's fine), etc. But I try to stick to the date, definitely; and almost always assume it'll be bad before then if it's with more bacteria-prone products like meat.
-
since he's talking about pantry item's I am assuming your talking canned and dry goods
Someone earlier mentioned a best by date....I for one have used canned goods (veggies/sauces/gravy) way past the date on the can with no side effects. If I open the can and it gives off an odor that doesnt smell right than out it goes, otherwise I have used it.
Dry goods it all depends...sealed in air-tight pouch..go ahead...boxed air tight..i say go ahead..boxed whereas air could get in...i say toss it
Also items that have been openned previously ( flour/pancake mix etc..) I usually toss it past the date
-
I think at least some of these dates are intended to produce similar results to "Lather, rinse, repeat" :justjen
-
I’m really predominately talking about canned food as once upon a time they had no dates. With milk, sometimes you get 1 or 2 days past the date. With meat I wouldn’t go past the date. Not even a day. It’s a mental thing as well. I would not enjoy eating expired meat even if it was only a day past the date.
-
Canned foods have "best by" dates and sometimes "closed or coded" dates.
A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
"Closed or coded dates" are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating