Once opened, consume within:

[Helvete]

Who actually pays attention to these? Like on blocks of cheese with months on the use by date, yet as soon as you open it, you've got 3 days to eat it or you will die. Does anyone follow these and more so has anyone got sick from eating it? I think not.

I'm actually quite strict when it comes to use by dates, but as long as the date is still good, I'll keep it in the fridge for ages.

Any other stupid food rules?

[JDsmagik]

lots of those dates are 'best by' dates

they won't guarantee the freshness after that date

and I agree, any idiot can tell if something has gone bad
if it looks bad, throw it out
if it smells funky, throw it out
if you don't know what it's supposed to smell like, why did you buy it?

No amount of money is worth food poisoning

[ms.peachy]

Here foods don't come with a 'use by' date. They only have a production date. So it's up to you as the consumer to decide whether or not you think it's still likely to be good. Hey, this is China - food safety is a bit of a random, wheel-of-fortune kind of thing at the best of times.

[jabumbo]

i think milk and yogurt are the only things i have issues with here. i mean, these are the only things that tend to regularly go bad in my fridge.


that and the occasional tomato i forgot about in the bottom of the bin. although those are a bit more obvious

[paul jones]

I've got 7 fuckin eggs I have to lob out as the best by date was the 28th.You can't fuck around with eggs.I think I'll go up Morrisons later and stock up as I need my eggs for scrambled or boiled or fried feedings.There's no thing in the world more thrilling than cracking an egg apart from vacum cleaning a carpet full of bread crumbs.

[Adam]

I don't pay attention. Look and smell is a method I use.

There is cases where food stores (especially supermarkets) mark down the use by date to sell more produce. Like if they have a offer on milk, you might be happier to throw away a pint or two and go back and get some more thus they can can make it cheaper and sell more of it and work on that cycle. That way, if you're always going back for fresh produce you might buy a load of other junk you don't need.

Your gut (barring medical problems) is ok at dealing with poisons as well, gotta have some faith in ya body.

[Helvete]

I've got 7 fuckin eggs I have to lob out as the best by date was the 28th.You can't fuck around with eggs.

Normally I find eggs aren't too bad. If something has a use buy date of only a couple of days from new, then yes, it's best not to risk it. 24 hours is a long time in something that's only good for 72 anyway. But if the date is a couple of weeks or a month, 1 fucking day wouldn't matter.

But I'm talking about the 'consume within' dates, like after opening. It may still have 2 weeks on the use by date, but according to the jar you've got to use it immediately. Come on people, read properly!

[na§tee]

those consume within things are the worst on stuff like jams, spreads, relishes and the like. it lives forever when it is unopened but then when you open it you have to use the whole goddamned jar in two weeks or something.. unlikely, unless you operate a deli/live off the same sandwich every day.

[trailerprincess]

those consume within things are the worst on stuff like jams, spreads, relishes and the like. it lives forever when it is unopened but then when you open it you have to use the whole goddamned jar in two weeks or something.. unlikely, unless you operate a deli/live off the same sandwich every day.

Weird. Only discovered a jar of caviar in the back of my cupboards today that I originally opened about 18 months ago, which was supposed to have been consumed within 3 days.... I decided not to risk the somewhat dangerous combination of eggs and fish and chucked it....

[cosmo105]

Thing is, once it's opened it's no longer a clean environment and is exposed to all manner of oxygen, which can lead to harmful bacterial growth and other spoilage. I'm super paranoid about food and after having food poisoning a few times, don't even take the risk. It's just not worth it. Certain things with a low enough pH or water content can be fine for a long time, but highly perishable stuff? No way. Especially animal products.


BTW, a good 90% of cases of gastroenteritis (you know, horrible diarrhea without end, terribly upset stomach, vomiting etc. - what most call a "stomach flu") is due to food poisoning. It's vastly underreported.

hearts,
Food Scientist

[Helvete]

Maybe your digestive system needs to man the fuck up.

[cosmo105]

Pfft please son. I eat more fiber in a day than your insides could handle in a month. My tummy is iron-clad and runs like a well-oiled German machine.

[Helvete]

Yet you fold at the thought of a piece of meat? I've never had food poisoning and I eat things that used to be alive.

[cosmo105]

I'm sure you have had it and just didn't know it.

Fold at the thought of meat? Uh, no, I just choose not to eat animals. Vegetables used to be alive too. Everything we eat used to be alive.

[Helvete]

I eat dirt.

[ms.peachy]

Lately I have eaten many things that I don't know what the hell they are.

[paul jones]

I couldn't figure out how to open the corn beef tin earlier so I opted for Spam instead.I don't like those key twisting things.What flid invented them?

[Adam]

Egg and spam
Egg, bacon and spam
Egg, bacon, sausage and spam
Spam, bacon, sausage and spam
Spam, egg, spam, spam, bacon and spam
Spam, sausage, spam, spam, spam, bacon, spam tomato and spam
Spam, spam, spam, egg and spam
Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, baked beans, spam, spam, spam and spam.
Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! Lovely Spam! Lovely Spam!

[venusvenus123]

i take use-by dates with a pinch of salt and rely on my nose and common sense.