Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
What's the point of best before dates?
BBC reports that 'best before' dates on food are being considered for reform.
Apparently 5.3 million tons of perfectly good food and drink is thrown out in Britain every year – because we think it’s gone off, according to the Mirror, (who also provide a quick guide to food safety from the splendidly named Dr Slim Dinsdale).
'Best before' tends to get ignored unless its actually green with mould, but I always assume 'use by' means what it says, however, Dr Dinsdale suggests I might be too cautious.
Do you take much notice of the various dates on food?
Tags for Forum Posts: best before
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Richard Williams on
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All these dates are for guidance and are more to do with stock control for the supermarkets. The best judge is your own senses. If it looks good and smells ok it is fine to eat; if you have any doubts best avoid.
The amount of wasted food is a scandal and we should all do our best to avoid adding to the total. We are not just wasting good food while others in the world are going hungry, but all the energy, water and other inputs that have gone into growing it have been wasted too. we can all play a role in doing something about this, starting with how we shop.
There is a great book by Tristam Stuart called 'Waste; uncovering the global food scandal' which is well worth a read. Last time I checked they had it at the Big Green Bookshop
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Permalink Reply by Mr Growbag on
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Looks good, smells good is a good maxim in general to pick up decomposition or mould on your food, but according to my sources is not a replacement for use by dates. Food spoilage bacteria and the toxins they create are both invisible to the naked eye and don't smell.
I rarely disregard use by dates, particularly given that most supermarkets will give perishable stock as long a shelf life as they feel they can safely do (more chance of selling it). Binning out of date products costs supermarkets a ton of cash.
Best before dates are just that, and are used on low-risk things like biscuits (dry, acidic or sweet = harder for spoilage bacteria to grow).
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Permalink Reply by David Barry on
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If it were not for best before dates, supermarkets that are on the ball, like Budgens in Crouch End, would not discount food once it had reached it. These days I never eat a sausage unless it is discounted!
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One key thing that is often not considered is that super markets like to display an impression of abundance. To do this they keep shelves filled. If a line is not continuing it is common practice to remove and throw away remaining items and replace them with another line, rather than have half empty shelf space.
This is why, if you take a look in the supermarket's bins, you will find products that are still within their sell by/use by date.
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Permalink Reply by Kamila on
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That's a really useful article. When I was a student I used to keep tomato paste in its tube which had been opened for at least a year. Now I see it says if opened use in 3 weeks which is a huge waste. Personally I ignore it but don't tend to cook for friends with it 'just in case'!!
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Permalink Reply by JulieB on
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I tend to ignore the dates on non-meat products. With diary I'll eat a yogurt as long as the top isn't bulging, but I don't give anything to the children which is out of date. And I don't use meat past it's sell by date.
With eggs I put them in a bowl of water, if they sink they're ok, if they float they're not ok.
It's a good article, thank you.
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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I hardly ever stick to those 'use in X weeks' instructions on jars, especially as I get home-made chutneys and jams from my family that last ages without tons of preservatives. I might be less strict with yoghurts in the future, though.
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Permalink Reply by cosmic on
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Use by is set either because microbiological tests determine that after x no of days there is too many bacteria in a product for it to be considered safe for consumption. It may also be in the case of things like ready meals that the taste quality detoriates to such an extent that the retailer would not be happy to sell it to the customer. Therefore I mostly take note of use by.
Best before is usually because of taste, if you try a brand new bottle of ketchup and one that is much older you will probably notice that the older one has a sharper stronger taste. Therefore I use my own judgement. As for things in tins...my Mum still has stuff marked up with 1/2p prices!
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