Use by dates

[guffhoover]

I have been looking foward to my sloppy guiseppe pizza tonight only to find that the use by date was the 7th of Jan.

What is the general concesus on these dates? I personally think they are lies printed by food safety poofs; decided i'm going to eat it on the logic that what doesn't kill you gives you gastroenteritis/ungodly flatulence

[missdiane]

If it smells like pizza then it will be OK

[SS2.]

Pah, only 4 days past ? So long as its been kept in the fridge (and hasn't developed any extra blue bits or developed an interesting 'aroma'), then it'll be fine..

[Soft Top]

I'd go with the above. If it does not look/smell totally rank then cook it.

[beano500]

"Use by" or "Best Before" - there's a difference (apparently)!

[Plotloss]

It's a sad state of affairs where we've evolved to believing some digits on the packaging over our own senses.

You have eyes and a nose, use them.

[beano500]

Plotloss said:

... sad state of affairs ...

...is that we're all getting that long-established American mentality that, if there wasn't an instruction, someone can sue.

[missdiane]

I often wonder what Queen Victoria thought about the use by dates on her pizzas when they didn't have fridges in the olden days

[Plotloss]

Probably not an awful lot given that she spent most of the week smacked off her tits.

[SS2.]

missdiane said:

I often wonder what Queen Victoria thought about the use by dates on her pizzas when they didn't have fridges in the olden days

Perhaps ungodly flatulence was the reason she was never amused..

[motco]

It's only poncy expensive cheese on toast, how can that hurt anyone?

[Goughie]

beano500 said:

"Use by" or "Best Before" - there's a difference (apparently)!

Use by date is based on microbiological profiling and normally includes an extra day for 'worst case' consumers.

Best before is advice, i.e. sniff it!

[guffhoover]

Goughie said:

beano500 said:

"Use by" or "Best Before" - there's a difference (apparently)!

Use by date is based on microbiological profiling and normally includes an extra day for 'worst case' consumers.

Best before is advice, i.e. sniff it!

It was the 'use by' and it has just been devoured. Experience has taught me that the OH is not amused by Dutch Ovens, so there is no other option than save the farts for the office.

[Sushi]

I once ate a steak Ginsters pasty that was 2 weeks past it's use by date.

I was horrendously and projectilely ill

[beano500]

Fresh sushi only!

[Henry Hawthorne]

Sushi said:

I once ate a steak Ginsters pasty that was 2 weeks past it's use by date.

I was horrendously and projectilely ill

Potentially nothing to do with the fact that it was past its use-by date.

[SirClarke]

I don't think I've ever been unwell after eating things past the use by or best before date. I'd say I probably eat two or three things a week that are past their recommended date with no problems.

Had some pickle not so long ago that was Best before Jun 1995 I think it was. Found in grans cupboard when she died and lovely with cheddar, if a tad tangy.

[rsole]

A friend of mine happily consumed a Pot Noodle over the New Year (admittedly pissed) that was 2 years passed its use by date. No ill effects.

[motco]

rsole said:

A friend of mine happily consumed a Pot Noodle over the New Year (admittedly pissed) that was 2 years passed its use by date. No ill effects.

In order to putrify it has to have some sort of nutritional content...

[rsole]

Fair one and i appreciate mentioning Pot Noodle is somewhat lowering the tone! In the context of use by dates (which it did have) it was nevertheless quite minging.