(Just) out of date food.

Absentgrana , I liked your post "True oh Queen " who was it directed to ?

USB? I've got 'USB sticks' on my mind at present as I'm preparing 3 talks for 3 different audiences during September. I meant of course UBD

I could tell the Naan bread was gone past it when i got it out of its plastic pouch and I could see an attractive lemony coloured mould, quite a big one, growing at one end. Only 3 weeks past its date ! Resorted to brown pitta bread in fridge. A few whitish mould colonies at one end. Cut em off. Just bread mould

Oh Jess - What's special about Hummus going off? I've never heard of that before. Relevant, as I made some today for guests, and will be eating it on Sat. night. Trust that'll be ok? What's it's shelf life. Made loads and stuck the rest in the freezer.

Shop hummus and other dips a bit vulnerable due to the way they are made. They may start with cooked ingredients but they are not sterile and then they get liquidised - lots of damp surface areas all mixed up.
I've noticed lately that they start to get a few bubbles a few days after purchase - time to go in the bin. Once opened and dipped into into then also time to chuck I think.
Your home made will be fine I am sure.
One of the few things I am queasy about is people biting something and then sticking it into a dip.

I have a three-day rule with cooked food, or packeted ham etc. Once cooked, or opened, it'll be OK stored in the fridge but after the third day I throw it. On the other hand, I'll use cottage cheese well after the three day period if there's any left...
And cooked rice should only be kept in the fridge for 24 hours.

Nonu It was one of my mother's sayings. In this case, I thought it was appropriate to use to respond to Vampirequeen.

JessM Children should be taught "no double dipping" from an early age and then, perhaps, they won't do it as adults.

Absentgrana , like it . Double dipping is appalling , it never ceases to amaze me the number of people who do

Yuk! Reminds me of peanuts and crisps on bar counters - not that I frequent bar counters of course!

The chinese habit of all sticking your chopsticks into the same bowl brings about the same effect on my face muscles.

Do the Chinese who do that suffer from more tummy bugs than we who find it icky though? That's the question to ask. Robust info, anyone?

I did read that we should never use an onion that has been cut in half and saved to use another day as onion attracts bacteria like nothing else. An onion cut in half and left in a room will protect from flu viruses etc as the virus will go into the onion [don't laugh, it's only something I read...but I do believe it!].

That is an old gypsy thing , which I believe , if only use half an onion I firmly wrap the other half in foil .

Blimey, I've used half-onions which have been languishing at the bottom of the fridge for weeks! Apart from being a bit dried out (although wrapped), they're fine when cooked.

I wrap half onions in cling film and leave them near where I prepare food. I never put onions in the fridge because they make the fridge stink. If I forget about the half onion and it is going bad when I find it, I chuck it out. If it looks fine, I use it. Simple. No problems.

Have kept half apples wrapped in cling film in the fridge for weeks and then eaten them. No ill effects.

I've got an onion box from Kleeneze which keeps half an onion fresh for ages. It works for lemons too.