I'm one of those food label readers. However, I'm not reading for nutritional content. I'm reading for the expiration date.
I've been told that I have an extraordinary sense of smell and taste. Mom, roommates, and Partner often coming to me asking, "Does that smell okay?" or "Taste this. Is it okay?"
I don't mind smelling, usually, but I'm not going to blindly taste something. That's what expiration dates are for.
Unfortunately, expiration dates come in several formats:
sell by date
use by date
best by date
expires on date
I know that all dates have a built-in safety factor so that if it expires tomorrow and I accidentally take it the next day, I'll be okay. However, I've still often wondered why the difference in dates. Just tell me when I should not eat it or drink it and I'll probably be able to do the rest.
One of our local newspaper columnists has answered my long-unanswered question about the different dates. Apparently, dates are related to quality and freshness determined totally at the discretion of the manufacturer. Obviously, a manufacturer wants its product to taste and smell good when you buy it and eat it, so that's understandable.
"Sell by" means that the store should not sell it past the date.
"Use by" means that the product has reached its prime and will start to look bad, smell bad, or taste bad, but it won't kill you. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Do I trust the manufacturer with my life? LOL
"Best by" is the same as "Use by."
"Expires by" are usually on drugs and some liquids.
Jim, In 1967 I was flying overseas in a military charter. The stewardess told us we could have as many roast beef sandwiches as we wanted. When I opened mine a label fell out..."packaged in 1945." The sandwich was older than me. And yes, I ate it, and two others.
I'm a food label reader....but I'm concerned about what they are putting into our food. I'm much more concerned about that than I am with the dates. They are slowly killing us softly with their song and dance and chemicals, and what we are eating does not meet the definition of food.
Hey, some people don't really care, at least not until the day they actually find that they have some terminal disease...then they wish they could go back and reconsider their lack of concern. For those who are concerned now and want to learn more...there is now a HEALTH GROUP here on the Rain. Join today!
And Jim, please add this blog to the group...dates are something we should be concerned about too!!!
Hi Jim, I always am very careful this. It is amazing what you can find on the store shelves that should not be there. I've also found that you can't depend on the date either, be sure to check your sandwich meat and make sure it's not turning green! Yuck!
Jim: I've always been a label reader for dates, same as you. But three years ago, my husband was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that was attacking his kidneys. We strongly suspect that the sweetener SPlenda was to blame. While it does come from sugar, it is only one sugar molecule, surrounded by three cholride molecules. The reason we don't gain weight is that our bodies recognize it as poison and pass it straight through. My husband, who was a HUGE fan of Pepsi One (a Splenda sweetened soft drink) for years prior to his diagnosis. When he went back to regular soft drinks sweetened with corn syrup and sugar, he dropped 40 lbs. He had been one of those unlucky individuals whose body DOES ingest chloride and he was suffering from chloride poisoning. So now, we read EVERYTHING. Splenda and other artificial sweeteners are a no-no in our house. And once you start reading labels, you will be shocked how many things Splenda (sucralose) is in that you didn't even realize.
I am a lable nut. I check calories, fat and fiber. For any Weight Watcher fans out there you will realize that is our bible....no insult to the actual bible meant..please no nasty comments from the Religious fanactics. I simply meant as a lifetime Weight Watcher I always read every label I see. If it does not have those items listed,I do not eat it...I know a bit crazy but in reality I am still the same size I was in college. Do not ask how long ago that was. Lets just leave it to say that I have a 26 and 21 year old son.....
So more times than not, the expiration dates are meant to be guidelines. When it comes to judging the edibility of our food, we need to use common sense. It's true- trust your eyes and nose. Meats are generally still good for several days after the expiration date. However, dairy items like yogurt or cheese tend to be more perishable. Since it pertains to our health, we should be well educated on what's still good and what's not. Check out this FDA chart that tells us how long different foods stay fresh for.
I always assume that the food is good for about a week after the 'sell by' date.
My favorite, though. is the 'Born On' date you find on beer bottles. Another completely useless fact unless you look into it. Apparently, beer doesn't improve with age, so the fresher you can get it, the better it will taste.
Since I prefer organic, I do check labels. But I do find things in my refrigerator and my office refrigerator that are sorely expired and don't put anything in my mouth that I can't find a date on bottle or can....including vitamins and minerals and supplements.....
I get in trouble over this with my SO all the time...If it says 'use by' and that date is long gone the unopened product is in the trash...She, on the other hand, wil open it. smell it, maybe taste it and then make a decision...I just don't ask any questions when I get home and she's done the cooking...I'm better off not knowing.
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You are what they call a reader. You probably read anything at any place just to read.