Expiration Dates
October 7th, 2012 | 
Author: How much attention do you give expiration dates?
Are they set in stone as far as the quality of the food or are the dates merely suggestions?
Do you think they are more important for some foods, such as dairy products, than for canned goods? What about frozen foods?
When did expiration dates start appearing on foods? I don’t remember them when I was growing up but maybe I just didn’t pay attention.
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I don’t remember there being expiration dates on food items when growing up, either. I don’t pay attention to those frozen food items too much. Maybe depends upon the item, but after a year if it is still in the freezer, would give that item a toss.
Now dairy foods I like to use before the date, don’t care for the taste of spoiled milk, cottage cheese, etc. Will keep block cheeses wrapped up good and if mold forms, just cut the mold off and use the rest.
Cake mixes and items with baking powder might not rise like they should if they are old.
There is one store in my town, (Just deals, 99c Store) that has many, many items on their shelves that are already past the expire date. Some I’ve gone ahead and purchased and found them to be OK — but some like Salad Dressings, the oil has gone rancid. But when I’ve only spent 99c for it, I do take a chance and feel like I’m getting a bargain.
While I believe expiration or sell-by dates have their place, I get a little irritated about them sometimes. That’s probably because I didn’t grow up with them either and none of us got sick or anything. Now they even have use-by dates stamped on the eggs! As for the dates, they say the milk is good for about a week after the sell-by date. I still don’t like to buy dairy products after the dates either and try to use what we have by the dates. As far as canned goods, one can’t think that at midnight on that date the food will automatically spoil. We don’t buy those items unless they are to be used soon though. I do think the quality of the food will continue to diminish after those dates in most cases. Some freezer foods get downright disgusting. I’ve used some pistachio pudding that was past the date on the box and had it ruin a salad so I do have concerns about that. It was too far past the date, and I should have made the trip to the store. Ruined a lot of other ingredients because I didn’t. I think we didn’t to be careful about the dates but not totally anal!!!! lol!!!!
That last sentence…gah….should read, “I think we do need to be careful about the dates but not totally anal!!! Have to admit that I think I am a little anal about it though! lol!!!!
Oh, and like Connie said, there are several stores that sell the products that are past the dates. If they are permitted to sell them, it makes one wonder how bad they can be??????
I most definitely pay attention to expiry/sell by dates. Especially milk and eggs. There was a special on TV a while ago, that said that even cake mixes can spoil. There was actually a recall on them. Apparently there is some kind of really harmful bacteria that can develop if not used by that date. I think it had something to do with mixes that had milk powder in them, which would include puddings, etc. I think most of the cake mixes and pudding mixes do contain powdered milk.
As for canned goods, I’m not too worried about. But if I’m shopping and have a choice of a can expiring in one month and one expiring in 3 months, you can bet I’ll take the one expiring in 3 months. No doubt.
I can’t stand eating bad/spoiled food and sometimes even the frozen food is bad. Not necessarily from a bacterial point of view, but freezer burned food is just awful, in my opinion.
If you have ever had food poisoning, you’ll always be extremely careful about spoiled food. That’s my personal experience.
Instant pudding doesn’t have milk, only food starches. I just looked this morning.
AMEN to that Marian….been there done that too……AWFUL!!!!
I think the shortening or fat in some mixes can cause them to go bad.
I try to pay attention to the dates but there are some items I’m not as cautious as others.
I try to date meats when I package and freeze them too.
When I buy canned goods, I try to make sure to pull the older cans to the front of the shelf so I use them first. Don’t always get it done but I try!
What amazes me is that people will buy products with an expired expiration date on them. I am an avid label reader and that includes the dates.
Becky, I know some very, very low income folks who buy those things all the time, and that really concerns me…. I just don’t understand how so many little stores are poppiing up all over the place with huge displays of the expired items with all of the control we have on us in most other areas of our lives.
Sherry, it concerns me too. And I wonder where the stores get those expired goods and where the goods have been stored. I’m surprised they are allowed to sell them.
I did notice on a prescription the ‘don’t use after’ date on the label was totally different that the expired date on the package, that date being over 6 months later! I don’t know why the pharmacy would put a different date since the prescription was in a sealed package, not pills counted into a bottle.
Becky, Did you notify your pharmacy about that discrepency? That really sounds so wrong…. I’ve also wondered where they obtain that merchandise. One that is not far from our house gets truckloads in on Sundays or Mondays I’m told. I went in there a couple of months ago, and the shelves were relatively empty. That didn’t use to be the case. I’m clueless as to what’s going on, but we all need to be safe.
Well, since my last post I have learned something new. While volunteering in a food bank down the road from me I found out that the Government of Canada will not allow the food bank to give food away that is more than 2 years past it’s expiry date. The food bank must indicate that the item is expired. This one had a separate section for expired food. Then it’s up to the person to make the decision. Items expired more than 2 years are discarded. The Government deems food products safe up until that time (again, depending on what it is, of course). They may, however, have lost some of the nutruitional values over that time. The expired foods at the food bank usually expire while on the shelf.
Good point about wondering how the expired items have been stored Becky. That can most definitely effect a foods quality and safety.