Use by dates - must stick to or just a heads up

[sam_b]

Egg use by dates are crazy - I use them a long time after and I use the float test to check they are ok.
The rest,I look at more closely, but will usually use past the use by.
Best before is just ignored.

[Blue nose]

Reading this maybe I'm not as fussy as I thought...just meats, fish and milk!

Fruit and veg - if its pre-prepared it goes in the bin, if it's a full piece of fruit/veg then it's fine for weeks after.

Alcohol - any time any place any where.

Bread/cake/cheese - no mould or stale then eat it.

Eggs - isn't there a float test?

So just meat or fish that we stick too 🙄

[greekgranny]

If it is it's eat by date and it won't get eaten it goes in the freezer. Always freeze milk, bread and yoghourts and just take out what is needed. DS buys me lots of "yellow sticker" foods as he works right by Lidls, that gets bunged in the freezer too.
Veg and fruit is stored in the fridge and rinsed in salt water if it is looking a bit sad, have never had food poisoning yet!

[Fluffypenguin]

Originally Posted by maidmarian

I detest waste, some people just throw everything out, I'd rather give it away than do that

See more...

My mum (was manager at the time) and the other staff were mortified, they just looked at her and said, “but Linda, the food was frozen before it went out of date, so it’s okay to eat” and apparently she just said, “oh”. I think it was a genuine mistake on this woman’s part, but they couldn’t take it out of the bin because it had defrosted. It was a rather large waste of money.

[Loulou127]

My mom who grew up in the era before fridges were in common use and everyone had a cold store is the absolute worst, we have many to doo’s about things she wants to throw out, to the stage I had to say to her it’s fine if you won’t eat it but you can’t impose your views on everyone else in the house!
The rest of us won’t throw anything away, last week tesco sent yoghurts that were already past their best before date, they’ve all been eaten, we’ve got co-proxamol that’s 15 years past it’s date, hubby still takes them occasionally but reckons they’re not as effective anymore x

[Guest]

I would not take medicine that is past its expired by date ever.

Nor chicken or prawns /shellfish or other raw meat and even then give it a good sniff on the day of and day before...

Best by is just a guide here.

Except potatoes that have sprouted a lot. A bud ok, but actual sprouting no.

[TGT]

I mostly ignore dates - I'll sniff and look. I read if it's slimy that's bacteria and should be thrown but if it's just furry it's fine (but I would cut the fur off!)

However, I have to admit I did throw out a bottle of mustard a couple of weeks ago - best before 2010. I figured at 10 years beyond the date I wouldn't take the chance! It did look a little brown/oxidised rather than hideously bright yellow (hot dog style mustard that I took home after a friend's daughter's primary school fair. She did her GCSEs this year)

[Pookie3101]

It depends what it is. Fish pork and chicken a no no. Everything else depends on it’s condition and smell when I want to use it. The milk I am using at the moment has a date of 3 November on it and it’s still perfectly fine. I use dates as a guide.

[Loopylooloo]

I am a bit fussy about dates, but have to say most annoying are M&S foods, basically everything you buy has to be eaten that day or the next it seems!

[wanye]

i eat expired food constantly and have only ever had food poisoning once... and that was from a bad whelk on brighton beach, not from some 3 day out of date sausage

most of the contents of my freezer is reduced priced meat and fish