Best Before Date

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#1951150 3-Feb-2018 15:14

sbiddle:

Our food regulations (particularly around best before and use by dates and the defintions of such) haven't changed significantly since the joint ANZFA food standards came into place in 2001. I spent many years implimenting these in a former life.

Cheese has a best buy and not a use by date because the product will not pose a food safety risk to consume after the date.

With cheese that would depend on type of cheese. Live culture cheese poses such a risk I have ben advised never to touch it irrespective of the best before date.

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mattwnz

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#1951152 3-Feb-2018 15:17

Rikkitic:

What is the margin on use by? There has to be one.

There isn't one because it would vary significantly. Some types of food can potentially last for decades, even though they may have a best before date of a couple of years. Honey for example has a best before date of about 2 years, but honey potentially can last decades, it just goes harder It is really all about using common sense. I am amazed at how much food gets disposed of just because it is past the best before date. That is wasteful IMO. Use by date is different, but best before is basically telling the user that the food will be at it's best , before that date. After that, and it may not be at it's best.

sbiddle

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#1951157 3-Feb-2018 15:21

MikeB4:

sbiddle:

Our food regulations (particularly around best before and use by dates and the defintions of such) haven't changed significantly since the joint ANZFA food standards came into place in 2001. I spent many years implimenting these in a former life.

Cheese has a best buy and not a use by date because the product will not pose a food safety risk to consume after the date.

With cheese that would depend on type of cheese. Live culture cheese poses such a risk I have ben advised never to touch it irrespective of the best before date.

People with weaked immune systems are very different though. For 99% of people eating a product beyond its best before date will post no threat. In your case though even eating something like bean sprouts that is well within it's use by date can post a serious health risk.

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#1952568 6-Feb-2018 19:16

Rikkitic:

What is the margin on use by? There has to be one.

After a year many of the vitamins in the food are lost. Some nutrients can drop to zero after six months so you're best to eat canned food for the energy only while supplementing the meal with fresh produce.

For things like preserved jam you're not eating it for healthy sustenance so it may not be so important, so long as you're not counting the intake as your daily dose of fruit + veg.

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#1952586 6-Feb-2018 19:56

If there's food, I will eat it. I'm still alive.

Geektastic

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#1952721 7-Feb-2018 00:42

For me, it depends on the product.

Anything relating to raw poultry, the dates are very strictly observed. Raw red meat in sealed packaging I will allow a couple of days of grace but no more. Raw fish I would consume within 24 hours or feed to the dogs but since my wife hates fish, we do not tend to have much in the house except tinned kippers which I like for breakfast in the absence of the real thing.

Dairy I am funny about. For example, I won't buy paper wrapped butter - 9 times out of 10 it already tastes rancid to me. Butter that has been at room temp for more than 48 hours goes in cooking or the bin. Milk goes down the sink immediately it expires - although it's rare, as we drink a lot of it so it tends not to stay around that long.

Products containing offal, such as pate (and I am the only person who eats that sort of thing in the household) I will consume within 24 hours or bin.

Yoghurt (which I personally dislike) I can never tell because (a) I hate it so much I won't taste it and (b) it was already off when new, so how can you tell?!

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#1952722 7-Feb-2018 00:45

sbiddle:

MikeAqua:

Fred99:

You should check your fridge when you get home. Milk and cream in my fridge is marked with a "BB" not a use-by, as is a UHT milk pack on the shelf in the pantry.

That is surprising the UHT makes sense but milk, yoghurt and soft cheese should have an expiry date because they can spoil. Perhaps the regs have slackened somewhat. I drink oat milk with is UHT and a 1L cartons only lasts me 2 days.

Our food regulations (particularly around best before and use by dates and the defintions of such) haven't changed significantly since the joint ANZFA food standards came into place in 2001. I spent many years implimenting these in a former life.

Cheese has a best buy and not a use by date because the product will not pose a food safety risk to consume after the date.

Cheese past it's best is usually mouldy fairly soon, and few people would really want to eat it then anyway!

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#1952799 7-Feb-2018 09:33

MikeAqua:

KillerHulk:

Would you say same for Dairy Products, say Milk ?

i worked for fonterra, and they use to rubbish all dairy products (or put it aside for the store to decide) if the expiry date is within 2 days.

Would you still consume them if you find any product like this ?

Just like @MikeB4, i wont keep anything that has expired, that is the reason why i am having this discussion over a chewing gum.

Milk is different. It's perishable and has a Use By or expiry date. Take those seriously.

But best before dates are not about food safety. For example a bag of chips might taste a little stale but it won't support bacteria because of the salt content.

However if you are particularly vulnerable to food borne illnesses - example if you are very young/old, immune-suppressed, or pregnant, have particular diseases you should exercise more caution.

Have worked on a few projects at Fonterra (Brands). The supermarkets won't accept product with shelf life less than a certain limit and that stock just gets plonked in the staff cafeteria for purchase at a nominal price. I seem to recall buying yogurt by the carton for $1, 10L premium Kapiti icecream for $2 etc. Fantastic perk for perfectly good product with weeks left before expiry.

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#1952806 7-Feb-2018 09:59

kryptonjohn:

MikeAqua:

KillerHulk:

Would you say same for Dairy Products, say Milk ?

i worked for fonterra, and they use to rubbish all dairy products (or put it aside for the store to decide) if the expiry date is within 2 days.

Would you still consume them if you find any product like this ?

Just like @MikeB4, i wont keep anything that has expired, that is the reason why i am having this discussion over a chewing gum.

Milk is different. It's perishable and has a Use By or expiry date. Take those seriously.

But best before dates are not about food safety. For example a bag of chips might taste a little stale but it won't support bacteria because of the salt content.

However if you are particularly vulnerable to food borne illnesses - example if you are very young/old, immune-suppressed, or pregnant, have particular diseases you should exercise more caution.

Have worked on a few projects at Fonterra (Brands). The supermarkets won't accept product with shelf life less than a certain limit and that stock just gets plonked in the staff cafeteria for purchase at a nominal price. I seem to recall buying yogurt by the carton for $1, 10L premium Kapiti icecream for $2 etc. Fantastic perk for perfectly good product with weeks left before expiry.

My wife worked there for a while and she used to fly down with a carry on full of milk etc every Friday!

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#1952808 7-Feb-2018 10:01

Geektastic:

kryptonjohn:

MikeAqua:

KillerHulk:

Would you say same for Dairy Products, say Milk ?

i worked for fonterra, and they use to rubbish all dairy products (or put it aside for the store to decide) if the expiry date is within 2 days.

Would you still consume them if you find any product like this ?

Just like @MikeB4, i wont keep anything that has expired, that is the reason why i am having this discussion over a chewing gum.

Milk is different. It's perishable and has a Use By or expiry date. Take those seriously.

But best before dates are not about food safety. For example a bag of chips might taste a little stale but it won't support bacteria because of the salt content.

However if you are particularly vulnerable to food borne illnesses - example if you are very young/old, immune-suppressed, or pregnant, have particular diseases you should exercise more caution.

Have worked on a few projects at Fonterra (Brands). The supermarkets won't accept product with shelf life less than a certain limit and that stock just gets plonked in the staff cafeteria for purchase at a nominal price. I seem to recall buying yogurt by the carton for $1, 10L premium Kapiti icecream for $2 etc. Fantastic perk for perfectly good product with weeks left before expiry.

My wife worked there for a while and she used to fly down with a carry on full of milk etc every Friday!

If it was the Takanini site she'll recall the curious security process of drawing a ping pong ball out of a bag when you exit the main gates, to determine whether they searched you for goods not explained with a receipt!

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#1952941 7-Feb-2018 14:16

Rikkitic:

What is the margin on use by? There has to be one.

It depends on how it's been transported. I'd be a fan of indicators that change colour once a certain temperature has been exceed for goods that spoil. You never know how long something sat in someone's trolley or discarded on the supermarket shelf before being returned to the refrigeration section. I got some Puhoi Half-and-half milk the other week that didn't even get to the BEST BEFORE date before it was unfit for consumption. It must have been improperly stored at some point - and not by me - it goes straight in the p̶o̶o̶l̶ ̶r̶o̶o̶m̶ insulated bag with the other refrigerated goods when I load it into the car boot and then straight home and into the fridge.

SepticSceptic

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#1953694 8-Feb-2018 15:39

Geektastic:

Cheese past it's best is usually mouldy fairly soon, and few people would really want to eat it then anyway!

Meh, just slice off the mouldy bits, and you're good to go. :-)

Besides, people pay good money for mouldy cheese - blue vein ....

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#1953699 8-Feb-2018 15:44

SepticSceptic:

Geektastic:

Cheese past it's best is usually mouldy fairly soon, and few people would really want to eat it then anyway!

Meh, just slice off the mouldy bits, and you're good to go. :-)

Besides, people pay good money for mouldy cheese - blue vein ....

Yep, the stinkier the better too!

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#1953769 8-Feb-2018 18:10

yeew

cadman

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#1953795 8-Feb-2018 19:10

Batman:

yeew

Mmmm blue vein... nom nom nom...

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