Past My Date? Look,Smell,Taste, Don’t Waste.

I often wonder about things like Paracetamol, indigestion remedies etc. I have them in the cupboard for ages, I just assume they’re ok to take for a while after the expiry date!?

I’m still using paracetamol that’s 10 years old. I wouldn’t do that with anything for a specific medical problem though. There’s a big difference between sell by dates, best before and use by. I wouldn’t eat anything that had gone beyond it’s use by date.

I am happy to eat something beyond its ‘use by’ date. I look and sniff carefully. I plan my meals for the week before shopping though so it’s rare for me to have to forensically examine anything. I hate to see food wasted. Manufacturers always err on the side of caution when adding ‘use by’ dates.

This meme made me smile.

👏👏👏

How about beer?
Every year we throw bottles and cans away because we wouldn’t want to give visitors out of date beer.
Seems such a waste.

I'm another one who is happy to use my common sense to decide whether something is still safe to eat or not. If people get too fussy over dates on products, it makes you wonder how we all survived before anything had 'use by' or 'best before' dates.

I rarely even look at the dates. I rarely throw away food. No one has ever got food poisoning from something I fed them.

I used to campaign against the use of expiry dates on food and other products. 22 months ago I lost my sense of smell and taste and it still hasn’t returned. I’ve now had a rethink about the use of dates after having twice eaten food that had gone off

Gingster

How about beer?
Every year we throw bottles and cans away because we wouldn’t want to give visitors out of date beer.
Seems such a waste.

I would drink it before it’s out of date, or should say, DH would.

Me too Monica take no notice of dates and still here to tell the tale
My daughter once asked if I had any clove oil as she had toothache I told her yes in the medicine drawer She came back with the bottle in her hand and said mum this is 18 years out of date 😂😂😂

The smell test is not universally reliable. Some bacteria don't generate an off smell. I never go beyond a use-by date. Best before is entirely another matter.

Grantanow

The smell test is not universally reliable. Some bacteria don't generate an off smell. I never go beyond a use-by date. Best before is entirely another matter.

Bacterial action is usually evident, though through bubbling and discolouration even if the food doesn't smell off.

I wouldn't worry if something was a day or two past its use by date, had been correctly stored and didn't show signs of bacterial activity.

It's worth reading this expert view of the sniff test.

theconversation.com/the-sniff-test-is-not-reliable-for-food-safety-heres-why-211808?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%202719827486&utm_content=The%20Weekend%20Conversation%20-%202719827486+CID_7f2737ffcc3ecd49b86a3ff9a387a771&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=The%20sniff%20test%20is%20not%20reliable%20for%20food%20safety%20%20heres%20why