Sell-By Dates

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Baron_Samedi

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Reading on some website somewhere that the Gov want to reduce waste by eliminating Sell-By and Use-By dates on produce.

I reckon this idea is as ****-eyed as the rest of our leading party's policies and going to result in big business for lawyers pursuing claims for poor darlings with Montezumas revenge (and we aren't talking swine flu) cos that's boaring!
 
reading on some website somewhere that the gov want to reduce waste by eliminating sell-by and use-by dates on produce.

I reckon this idea is as ****-eyed as the rest of our leading party's policies and going to result in big business for lawyers pursuing claims for poor darlings with montezumas revenge (and we aren't talking swine flu) cos that's boaring!

:d
 
on a related note, how many people chuck food away as soon as it hits the sell by or use by date? or do they just eat it anyway - if so how many days do you dare?
 
Not us. If looks all right and smells all right, it probably is all right. All right!
 
Gots to agree!

We keep a lot more stuff in the fridge these days - grapes and stuff seem to last ages and ages.

Not bananas though because it isn't good for them.
 
But the best bananas are just about black all over.
Either all-green (for the vitamins) or all-black for the flavour. Yellow ones are pointless.

My GF seems to throw anything away when it hits the date on the packaging but I'm a bit more flexible:

"Sell-by": this is for the shop, not consumer so don't worry about it unless it's still on their shelves after this date

"Best-Before": you can probably still eat this months after the BB date, it might not be as fresh tasting, might be a bit chewy or hard when it's not supposed to be but otherwise fine.

"Use-by": this date is more useful. Usually stuff declines very rapidly after this date so you might only get a day extra out of it even if you're storing it correctly.

Tins of food will normally last up to 10 years (probably longer) if undamaged as it's pressurised and tinned at something like 200 degrees to prevent contamination. Dented tins might expose the innards to other metals in the can construction which at best might make it taste funny and worst who knows. It's not unknown for the contents of tins to be consumed many decades after canning on TV shows etc with no ill effects.

Anyone who has been a student or unemployed for any length of time should know all this stuff anyway, I've been both!
 
:doh:

Who needs to worry about an ever increasing NHS budget?

Few more products like that and we'll be back in the dark ages!
 
Shude is bang-on. Use-by is the important one - it's for food that degrades even when stored in the fridge.

Shops can sell past the "sell-by" date but not the "use-by". Food past the "best before" date is probably still OK (apart from eggs and such) but the taste, testure and appearence may degrade.

I'm doing my food hygiene stuff at the mo so I can help Mrs E get her venture off the ground. Personally I'd be careful of the "use by" date, but with anything as long as it didn't walk across the floor and wasn't furry I'd probably cook it :)
 
Apparently the ONLY food that doesnt NEED a use by date is honey. But because of our food laws has to be dated.
Jars of honey have been found in Pyramids which are still edible.
 
Reading on some website somewhere that the Gov want to reduce waste by eliminating Sell-By and Use-By dates on produce.

I reckon this idea is as ****-eyed as the rest of our leading party's policies and going to result in big business for lawyers pursuing claims for poor darlings with Montezumas revenge (and we aren't talking swine flu) cos that's boaring!
They do this kind of thing instead of dealing with the important stuff which they have either cocked up themselves or are powerless to influence.
It makes them look busy whilst complete failure will not matter a jot!
 
AFAIK the proposal is simply to do away with everything other than "use by".

"Sell by" and "best before" are not understood by many people, who wrongly assume items become unfit for consumption after those dates.
 

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