'Best before' and 'Use by' dates

Onionman

Onionman

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What rules do you apply with the "best before" and "use by" dates on food items?

I'm pretty strict on fresh meat but I tend to vary the way I apply the "best before" label. At a time in which we all are throwing away so much food, I hate having to do so.

What's your approach?
 
I never go past the use by date with any food, but best before is just a guidline. If an item looks ok, smells ok, and isn't to far past the best before date, then I use the item. Always use your own judgement.
 
I am usually cautious about using products which have passed their best before date. However, I may still use a product if the best before date has passed if it is just about a week older than the best before date. It all depends on the product. I tend to be a bit more cautious with canned stuff, especially canned meats, like corn beef, for instance. Medication is another product that I would be extra careful with if the date on it has expired. If I happen to buy vegetables that are passed their expiry date, then I would use those vegetables the same day, not store them.
 
depends on the type of food ,high risk items i.e. pre cooked rice,sea food,poultry i would keep within the dates,i think saying food looks ok or smells ok is not any use,food spoilage will show but mass bacterial growth can be odourless and not visible ,you can never be to safe
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I pretty much ignore them totally. Utterly and completely.
I have also never had food poisoning from my own food and only once from someone else's (MIL) who also takes little notice of them as well.
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Never had food poisoning and I seldom bother with the B.B.D. or the use by date.
Nature has its own way of letting you know something has passed its used by date, even if the date on the bag states otherwise.

How did we manage before these dates were introduced?
 
welsh dragon said:
I never go past the use by date with any food, but best before is just a guidline. If an item looks ok, smells ok, and isn't to far past the best before date, then I use the item. Always use your own judgement.
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Bingo. Our nose is the best indicator of weather or not food's still good. As for the dates, the best before is more of a suggestion, whereas the use by is more of a hard deadline.
 
Well, not speaking to whether I care either way, there's a difference between the two on packaging. Not to mention the fact that there are quite a few other labels.

"Use by
You will see "use by" dates on food that goes off quickly, such as smoked fish, meat products and ready-prepared salads.

Don't use any food or drink after the end of the "use by" date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine. This is because using it after this date could put your health at risk.

For the "use by" date to be a valid guide, you must follow storage instructions such as "keep in a refrigerator". If you don't follow these instructions, the food will spoil more quickly and you may risk food poisoning.

Once a food with a "use by" date on it has been opened, you also need to follow any instructions such as "eat within three days of opening".

But remember, if the "use by" is tomorrow, then you must use the food by the end of tomorrow, even if the label says "eat within a week of opening" and you have only opened the food today.

If a food can be frozen its life can be extended beyond the "use by" date. But make sure you follow any instructions on the pack, such as "cook from frozen" or "defrost thoroughly before use and use within 24 hours".

Best before
"Best before" dates appear on a wide range of frozen, dried, tinned and other foods.

"Best before" dates are about quality, not safety. When the date is passed, it doesn't mean that the food will be harmful, but it might begin to lose its flavour and texture.

Eggs can be eaten after their "best before" date as long as they are cooked thoroughly until both yolk and white are solid, or if they are used in dishes where they will be fully cooked such as a cake."

Of course that's for the UK but it's similar in the states as well.
 
I use this thing that not many people have heard of nowdays, it's called common sense. If the food looks, smells and tastes like it's still good, then I eat it. If I notice something suspicious then I don't eat it. Simple as that.
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
I pretty much ignore them totally. Utterly and completely.
I have also never had food poisoning from my own food and only once from someone else's (MIL) who also takes little notice of them as well.
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Totally ignore them? Wow! Then again, I guess if you don't eat meat and fish it's probably a little easier. But what about eggs? They most definitely have a shelf life that has to be considered.
 
I totally ignore them on canned foods. We had some cornmeal shells in the cabinet that I had not paid any attention to, when I opened the box they shells smelled funny, they had long pasted their use by date by a year, no telling how long those had been in the cabinet. Of course they were dumped.
 
Onionman said:
Totally ignore them? Wow! Then again, I guess if you don't eat meat and fish it's probably a little easier. But what about eggs? They most definitely have a shelf life that has to be considered.
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you can easily tell with eggs. use the float test if you are concerned about the age of them. In the UK we don't keep them in the fridge section even in the supermarket. At home, I don't either even with the duck's eggs I get from my landlady. Eggs I am quite happy to use to anything around a month to six weeks past their sell by date without even doing a float test on them. so no, not even eggs.
 
Qustion on Best Before Dates/Use Before Dates.
Why does a brand of bottled water, whose main claim to fame is the 1,000's of years its taken to reach the surface, have a BBD/UBD?
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
you can easily tell with eggs. use the float test if you are concerned about the age of them. In the UK we don't keep them in the fridge section even in the supermarket. At home, I don't either even with the duck's eggs I get from my landlady. Eggs I am quite happy to use to anything around a month to six weeks past their sell by date without even doing a float test on them. so no, not even eggs.
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Eggs, you can freeze.
 
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