Okay so this question has been bothering me for some time (LOL). And, I finally remembered to ask it today!

Okay so - Use By Dates... What is the deal with those... so it says 'Use By Oct. 8th' what happens on October 9th? Will it turn into a frog? Will it kill you if you eat it? Just curious. Is that just for the freshness guarantee? I am asking this loosely in regards to everything from hamburger meat to mini boxed cherry pies. So any and all answers are appreciated! It is easy to tell with milk... it will start to smell different. But like hamburger meat... if there are no obvious signs is it just best to throw away stuff after the 'use by date' has passed? I mean the well being of my family is more important then saving a few dollars by using food that the dates have passed. But at the same time I don't want to waste food it is not necessary! Thanks in advance for any and all answers anyone can provide!!

:)

Haha the use by dates mean very little. Its mostly what you mentioned, to try and be able to give a freshness guarantee. Most of the time, food will stay good at least up until that date and even 3-5 after for fresh products. I work in a grocery store. Sometimes we get rid of stuff before the date if we see dicoloration or the package gets puffed up or there's a strange odor already coming through the packaging- when food goes bad it does tend to be obvious. I've ate plenty of things past the sell by date. Usually with things like bread and dairy you have about 3-5 days after that date as long as you keep it stored properly. You have to be careful with meat but that's usually the most obvious when that goes bad. Things in boxes and cans tend to have dates into the next year or at least months away. But if you do come across something like that just look for things like strange colors and odors. Or say you open an old box of cereal, if its not crunchy still its probably no good.

Hi, 20anonymous08

Yes, if you consume the food one minute after midnight on the day after the expiration date, something horrible will happen to you!! :eek: LOL!

The expiration dates are there to protect the consumers and also the company that produces the food items and to provide some guidance as to a rough idea as to how long the food will remain fresh if it's stored in the proper way.

For me, the general rule of thumb that I use is, that if it looks okay, smells okay, hasn't been unrefrigerated when it should have been refrigerated, hasn't been stored in a really hot car, hasn't been frozen and hasn't aged too much beyond the expiration date, then it's probably okay to consume it.

Here's some other examples though that might be useful to you.

With eggs, even if it's well before their expiration date, I always still put them in water to see if they float. Any sign of floating and they're going to the garbage.

Cheese that's moldy and has gone beyond the expiration date - I cut off the mold.

Poultry that's already been cooked and there are left-overs after a meal - go immediately to the fridge. I wouldn't risk letting poultry sit unrefrigerated for very long.

I always store bread in my refrigerator - it can still be edible well beyond the expiration date when I do that. If I have too much bread, then I freeze it.

Even if the fish in the store hasn't gone beyond the expiration date, if it ain't the right color [preferably red] I ain't going to buy it.

Pancake flower - since I don't use it all that much and will generally have it around though for a very long time, I store it in the refrigerator.

Hamburger - Since I live by myself, I always divide it up into little patties, put in sandwich bags and store it in the freezer.

Hopefully, others will also be along to address your post.

Thanks!

I might be really off base on this but... Humans are scavengers. For hundreds of thousands of years we ate rotten food. Our bodies are made for it. We didn't run down our food and kill our meals. We ate what other bigger animals couldn't stomach. Bad or rotten food is not good for you but if you are somewhat healthy and can choke it down. It's much better than nothing. I know. Been there and done that.

A few days off the date isn't going to kill you. Humans tougher than that. Tougher than you can ever believe.

Yep one minute after the use by date ---proceed with caution or you may turn into the green moldie thang!
I agree with the others. Usually if you have kept it cold in the fridge and follow proper care of it it usually is okay for a little while past the date.

There are different types of dates. There is the "sell date" then there is the "best if used by" date.

The sell date restricts the item from being sold or served after that date. For instance, in a hospital, milk who's date is past is not served to patients or put in the cafeteria. If you have milk in your fridge that is past its date and smells fine, use it. In fact, if milk goes bad before its sell date, the store should refund your money.

On chips or crackers there is inevitably a "best if used by" date. This date protects the manufacturer from customer complaints lodged 10 years after the product was purchased.

Foods containing protein, ignore the date. Learn how to tell what fresh looks and smells like, in hamburger or fish. Your nose and eyes, know. Always cook meat well. Steak, that you want rare, remember that it has the most germ contact on the outside of it. Hamburger is a different story.

Fresh fruit and vegetables don't usually have a date... If it's too old to eat, well.

Yes, I heard a story about some folks who prefer their sheep meat slightly decomposed. Your body can handle all kinds of germs but getting food poisoning can be more than unpleasant. It can kill you.