Do you pay any attention to the “use by” or “best before” dates on the products you buy or use?
Or do you just glance and make sure that they are within a reasonable range.
Do we even know the difference?
Understanding the differences could save us money and reduce our waste and ensure that the food we eat is still safe to consume.
Some food labelled with a use by date should not be sold and should not be consumed, however do labels on frozen foods mean that you should not eat them after that date?
How one defrosts and then cooks, is really important.
There are many foods that are safe to consume after a best-before stamp suggests.
There appears to be no rule as to whether biscuits or cakes are consumed within the dates specified, and most people would check out the item if known to be “past it” and either taste or smell or check for mould.
Maybe these foods lose some of their goodness, their taste or their appearance.
Milk has a use by date, and buying in the longest date range seems to guarantee its freshness.
However, there are many that will give milk the smell test even if it’s before the nominated date. Some may even take the chance.
Canned foods however need not have use by dates if they have a shelf life of more than two years, but still don’t store them for too long.
Eggs are something that most people are concerned about.
You may have the habit of placing them in a bowl in the fridge, without the carton and use by date, and leaving them a while before using. Usually, a couple of weeks is fine, but leaving them longer could be a problem.
I remember years ago my mother had our fresh eggs, straight from the chooks, and placed in a bowl on top of the fridge. These days everything goes in the fridge. Why is that so?
Is it safe to eat chicken after being left a couple of days – has it been cooked, has it been refrigerated, is it fresh? There are so many questions around food safety, mostly we learn by experience.
Often, some are bewildered by the many details we have to know about the food we eat.
It would be safe to say that if it smells off it probably is, and the look of some foods can be an indication of its freshness.
So, I guess, be careful – food can kill or make you very sick.
Above all learn from your mistakes.
Till next time.
