Today a relative told me about some cheap stuff going in a shop and it turned out to be out of date the end of last month.
I was wondering if its legal to sell out of date stuff and whether people take the dates seriously.
I have just eaten a trifle with yesterdays date on , but I wouldnt drink squash thats a month out of date. What do you think?
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Out of date?
Sex God
I'm terrible for never eating out of date stuff. I have been known to realise a nice hot steak pie is out of date just after putting it under my sons nose and whipping it away while his fork was in mid plunge 
I wasnt very popular 
I wasnt very popular I think that the whole sell by date thing is a load of b@ll@x to be honest.
In the days before sell by dates were invented you just smelled the food, or looked at it, the gave it a blinking great roasting to kill any bugs that may or may not have been on it.
I ignore sell by dates and often buy stuff from bargain shops or go 'whoops' shopping in @sd@ for stuff thats just on its sell by limit!
In the days before sell by dates were invented you just smelled the food, or looked at it, the gave it a blinking great roasting to kill any bugs that may or may not have been on it.
I ignore sell by dates and often buy stuff from bargain shops or go 'whoops' shopping in @sd@ for stuff thats just on its sell by limit!
If it is use by that is the latest that food is legally considered safe to eat. This appears on perishable items like ready meals and milk. Shops have an absolute duty to remove this by midnight on the date stamped on it.
If it says best before - it is legal to sell it after this date and still not unsafe for consumption. However, the quality will be reduced and it is therefore wise to sell it at a reduced rate...This is stuff like crips and tinned goods. Have to say though - once you are past a month or two I don't think I would!
If it says best before - it is legal to sell it after this date and still not unsafe for consumption. However, the quality will be reduced and it is therefore wise to sell it at a reduced rate...This is stuff like crips and tinned goods. Have to say though - once you are past a month or two I don't think I would!
Quote by Bonedigger
I think that the whole sell by date thing is a load of b@ll@x to be honest.
As an ex Fresh Foods Manager for a well known supermarket....it is generally considered that you have 100% on the dates given for "use by" in order to cover the manufacturers' backs
However, I will be quick to add that I take no responsibility for any discomfort caused by following that strategy.. 
Sex God
This reminds me of a girl I went to uni with, she wasn't the most domesticated of sorts and one day I walked into the kitchen to find her inspecting some tomatoes with a worried look on her face.......I asked her what was wrong and she told me that it was that she wasn't sure whether to eat them or not as they had a sell by date of the day before 
Now I'm not being funny but I think most of us here can tell if a tomato is off or not :lol2:
My mother is terrible for having things in the house past their use by date, but it's never done me any harm. A friend of mine is a food health inspector and he's told me to only use dates as a guideline cos at the end of the day, if food is off you can tell ie. it smells or has changed colour :?
I guess I wouldn't buy food that was past its sell by date but if I've had it in the cupboard for a bit I'll have a look at it and see if it's OK.
Now I'm not being funny but I think most of us here can tell if a tomato is off or not :lol2: My mother is terrible for having things in the house past their use by date, but it's never done me any harm. A friend of mine is a food health inspector and he's told me to only use dates as a guideline cos at the end of the day, if food is off you can tell ie. it smells or has changed colour :?
I guess I wouldn't buy food that was past its sell by date but if I've had it in the cupboard for a bit I'll have a look at it and see if it's OK.
I will toast brown bread one day after sell by date, having kept it in the fridge once opened. Also some salad (greens) is OK for a day or so after - judge by appearance, otherwise no I will not touch anything out of date.
I can however recall the days when not only were there no sell by dates, but no fridges (for the first few years of my lif)e - the larder had a cold concrete white tile covered slab and the window had wire gauze to keep flys out as it was open all the time.
Plim
I can however recall the days when not only were there no sell by dates, but no fridges (for the first few years of my lif)e - the larder had a cold concrete white tile covered slab and the window had wire gauze to keep flys out as it was open all the time.
Plim
One has to exercise a bit of common sense about things like this. Whilst we may check out the date in the shops, we often have several things well beyond their date at home.
Obviously goods which will go off quickly need to be treated carefully. But anything in a packet or tin is usually safe for months if not years later.
Obviously goods which will go off quickly need to be treated carefully. But anything in a packet or tin is usually safe for months if not years later.
Sex God
My mum thinks the fridge makes food immortal. But I use dates as a guide, not a rule. I've chucked stuff away BEFORE it's sell by date if it looks or smells dodgy - after all you can't be 100% sure the item has been chilled etc for its whole life before you buy it.
The only thing I am really strict about regardless of look/smell is rice - cooked rice gets chilled down hard and used within 24 hours - hot. But after that it gets thrown. I may be wrong but I understand cooked rice may develop a botulinum contamination and there is no amount of cooking will remove the toxins that produces. I may of course be talking through my a**.
:D:D
What makes me laugh is sell by dates of 3 weeks on jam - FFS - jamming is a preservation technique that keeps the fruit edible for a year at least. Having said that - it's often made with preservatives anyway.
The only thing I am really strict about regardless of look/smell is rice - cooked rice gets chilled down hard and used within 24 hours - hot. But after that it gets thrown. I may be wrong but I understand cooked rice may develop a botulinum contamination and there is no amount of cooking will remove the toxins that produces. I may of course be talking through my a**.
:D:DWhat makes me laugh is sell by dates of 3 weeks on jam - FFS - jamming is a preservation technique that keeps the fruit edible for a year at least. Having said that - it's often made with preservatives anyway.
Quote by foxylady2209
My mum thinks the fridge makes food immortal. But I use dates as a guide, not a rule. I've chucked stuff away BEFORE it's sell by date if it looks or smells dodgy - after all you can't be 100% sure the item has been chilled etc for its whole life before you buy it.
The only thing I am really strict about regardless of look/smell is rice - cooked rice gets chilled down hard and used within 24 hours - hot. But after that it gets thrown. I may be wrong but I understand cooked rice may develop a botulinum contamination and there is no amount of cooking will remove the toxins that produces. I may of course be talking through my a**.
What makes me laugh is sell by dates of 3 weeks on jam - FFS - jamming is a preservation technique that keeps the fruit edible for a year at least. Having said that - it's often made with preservatives anyway.
:shock: :shock: Is that not true then
:dunno: Sex God
Quote by Bonedigger
My mum thinks the fridge makes food immortal. But I use dates as a guide, not a rule. I've chucked stuff away BEFORE it's sell by date if it looks or smells dodgy - after all you can't be 100% sure the item has been chilled etc for its whole life before you buy it.
The only thing I am really strict about regardless of look/smell is rice - cooked rice gets chilled down hard and used within 24 hours - hot. But after that it gets thrown. I may be wrong but I understand cooked rice may develop a botulinum contamination and there is no amount of cooking will remove the toxins that produces. I may of course be talking through my a**.
What makes me laugh is sell by dates of 3 weeks on jam - FFS - jamming is a preservation technique that keeps the fruit edible for a year at least. Having said that - it's often made with preservatives anyway.
:shock: :shock: Is that not true then
:dunno:No - but green mould manages very nicely.
(If I come round to yours can we have take-away?) LOL
Sex God
I think maybe Im past my sell by date
Sex God
Quote by helnheaven
I think maybe Im past my sell by date
join the club! Mr W used to drive refrigerated lorries delivering cheese to lots of the major supermarkets.
It was a small firm, and to cut costs they would switch the fridges off over the weekend- with goods on board, no matter how warm it was outside.
So long as when it was delivered it was down to the acceptable temp, the supermarkets couldn't tell.
It was a small firm, and to cut costs they would switch the fridges off over the weekend- with goods on board, no matter how warm it was outside.
So long as when it was delivered it was down to the acceptable temp, the supermarkets couldn't tell.
Sex God
Quote by Freckledbird
I think maybe Im past my sell by date
join the club!Have you got strange furry green stuff growing on you too?
Im not giving up hope though. Having looked at some of the responses here,most of this lot will give owt a sniff or a lick just to make sure :lol:
Sex God
Quote by helnheaven
I think maybe Im past my sell by date
join the club!Have you got strange furry green stuff growing on you too?
Im not giving up hope though. Having looked at some of the responses here,most of this lot will give owt a sniff or a lick just to make sure :lol:
Oooooo I might find someone who likes me yet then! :lol:
Sex God
Quote by Ian
I have a kitchen fairy to ensure nothing dodgy passes my lips.
That and the fact food doesn't last much more than 24 hours in this house.
I heard that chocolate has a sell by date - - - WHY? It should have a "don't eat for 5 hours" mark on it. LOL
Someone has already said that use by dates are for perishable foods that need refridgeration, as a rule. Use by dates are a date that the manufacturer uses on food that they have microbiologically tested to prove that the growth of pathogenic bacteria will not reach a level that can harm a person. They usually have a 25% tollerance on that so a day or two out shouldn't be a problem. To sell in a retail shop past this date is an offence but at home most use the tollerance as well as the feel and sniff test. What foods should have use by dates? Usually cooked meats, soft cheeses, ready to eat foods, etc. Most things that contain proteins.
Food items like milk sometimes display use by dates but are not strictly hazardous. If you leave milk......eventually you have yoghurt. Nobody turns their nose up at that.
Best before dates are used where the manufacturer will guarantee the quality of the food up till that date. After that date the quality will detriorate but may not become harmful to humans.....up to a point. You wouldn't eat something 5 years past its best before date for example.....usually because the food has perished.
Someone did say that if you cook it you will kill the bacteria. Only those types that need to be in the body to cause harm will be killed off during this method. Those types of bacteria that secrete poison i.e. Staph A will be killed off but the poison will be left. You soon find out if it is there as the projectile vomiting usually starts within an hour or so.
Dave_Notts
Food items like milk sometimes display use by dates but are not strictly hazardous. If you leave milk......eventually you have yoghurt. Nobody turns their nose up at that.
Best before dates are used where the manufacturer will guarantee the quality of the food up till that date. After that date the quality will detriorate but may not become harmful to humans.....up to a point. You wouldn't eat something 5 years past its best before date for example.....usually because the food has perished.
Someone did say that if you cook it you will kill the bacteria. Only those types that need to be in the body to cause harm will be killed off during this method. Those types of bacteria that secrete poison i.e. Staph A will be killed off but the poison will be left. You soon find out if it is there as the projectile vomiting usually starts within an hour or so.
Dave_Notts
Quote by Dave__Notts
Someone has already said that use by dates are for perishable foods that need refridgeration, as a rule. Use by dates are a date that the manufacturer uses on food that they have microbiologically tested to prove that the growth of pathogenic bacteria will not reach a level that can harm a person. They usually have a 25% tollerance on that so a day or two out shouldn't be a problem. To sell in a retail shop past this date is an offence but at home most use the tollerance as well as the feel and sniff test. What foods should have use by dates? Usually cooked meats, soft cheeses, ready to eat foods, etc. Most things that contain proteins.
Food items like milk sometimes display use by dates but are not strictly hazardous. If you leave milk......eventually you have yoghurt. Nobody turns their nose up at that.
Best before dates are used where the manufacturer will guarantee the quality of the food up till that date. After that date the quality will detriorate but may not become harmful to humans.....up to a point. You wouldn't eat something 5 years past its best before date for example.....usually because the food has perished.
Someone did say that if you cook it you will kill the bacteria. Only those types that need to be in the body to cause harm will be killed off during this method. Those types of bacteria that secrete poison i.e. Staph A will be killed off but the poison will be left. You soon find out if it is there as the projectile vomiting usually starts within an hour or so.
Dave_Notts
I do! The thought of eating sour milk......eugh!
Good post though Mile :thumbup:
:rotflmao: :rotflmao: 
Sex God
I am a nightmare with food!!
You know if you open a yoghurt and sometimes they have a bit of water on the top.... It could still have 2 weeks date on it..but it will go in the bin!!
If there is food in my fridge, which has lets say todays date on it... It will get thrown.. If i've not used it by the day before the use by date it NEVER gets used..
You know if you open a yoghurt and sometimes they have a bit of water on the top.... It could still have 2 weeks date on it..but it will go in the bin!!
If there is food in my fridge, which has lets say todays date on it... It will get thrown.. If i've not used it by the day before the use by date it NEVER gets used..
I don't take any notice of what the big supermarkets choose to tell me and like others, use common sense to tell if something is edible or not. I frequently buy close-to-sell-by bargains and am not scared of eating certain things that others would run away from. I am rarely ill, and if I am, it is never from something I've eaten.
Admittedly, I won't eat fish or meat that looks or smells old - but it's not difficult to tell, if it starts off fresh and I know what colour it should look.
This thread does make me think about the way we waste so much food though, when so many would literally kill to have such well stocked fridges as ours. Millions don't even have a fridge at all.
We are all suckers to the bright lights of the supermarkets and I believe most of us probably buy far too much than we can actually eat. Simply because we can. A day-old yoghurt or sad-looking chicken leg could keep a child alive in Ethiopia. Makes you think, doesn't it?
Admittedly, I won't eat fish or meat that looks or smells old - but it's not difficult to tell, if it starts off fresh and I know what colour it should look.
This thread does make me think about the way we waste so much food though, when so many would literally kill to have such well stocked fridges as ours. Millions don't even have a fridge at all.
We are all suckers to the bright lights of the supermarkets and I believe most of us probably buy far too much than we can actually eat. Simply because we can. A day-old yoghurt or sad-looking chicken leg could keep a child alive in Ethiopia. Makes you think, doesn't it?
Sex God
Quote by splendid_
oh gosh I am a vegetarian. I shoot nothing.. :shock:
Must be something :rascal:
