Do you pay attention to 'expiration' dates on products?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I got sick and spent a month+ touring local hospitals, in 2018. When I finally got home, I figured the fridge would be one giant mold. Opened the door, and nada-nothing. Most of the food was still edible. Since, then I don't pay attention to expiration dates, I let the food tell me when it's no good. And that's pretty obvious. I use bottled water, (too much iron in my well water), there's an expiration date on the bottle- really when was the last time water spoiled?
Do you pay attention to 'expiration' dates on products?
 

It's interesting to note that the "sell by", "best before" or "use by" dates on food products don't always indicate when the food has actually gone bad. These dates are often conservative estimates set by manufacturers to ensure that the product is at its peak freshness and quality. In reality, many foods can still be safe to eat well past these dates, especially if stored properly.

In the case of water, as you've noticed, it's highly unlikely that it will spoil, given its chemical structure. But manufacturers still put expiration dates on the bottles because it's required by law in some countries.
 
I don't pay attention to best by or use by dates... especially on things I know will last a long longer like canned goods. If it's something perishable, I keep an eye on it... things like eggs last far beyond the date that's put on the carton... but milk not so much. Milk is actually at the top of my list of things to follow the expire date. I don't want to wait until it smells sour to get rid of it. :)
 

fuzzybuddy said:
I got sick and spent a month+ touring local hospitals, in 2018. When I finally got home, I figured the fridge would be one giant mold. Opened the door, and nada-nothing. Most of the food was still edible. Since, then I don't pay attention to expiration dates, I let the food tell me when it's no good. And that's pretty obvious. I use bottled water, (too much iron in my well water), there's an expiration date on the bottle- really when was the last time water spoiled?
Do you pay attention to 'expiration' dates on products?
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I have a jar of mustard in my fridge I've been working on since ~2013... :)
 
CallMeKate said:
I don't pay attention to best by or use by dates... especially on things I know will last a long longer like canned goods. If it's something perishable, I keep an eye on it... things like eggs last far beyond the date that's put on the carton... but milk not so much. Milk is actually at the top of my list of things to follow the expire date. I don't want to wait until it smells sour to get rid of it. :)
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Exactly my feeling....milk is about the only thing that does go bad before I've had a chance to use it. But a dozen eggs will last me at least 6 to 8 weeks (don't eat a lot of eggs...)
 
Unless it is several years past the best "use by date" I will eat it. Unless of course is smells or looks bad.
Funny this thread came up. I just opened a can of Crisco to grease some bread pans and it smells nasty. Dated April 2021. Off to the store I went. I have banana bread to make today..
 
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Not really. If something is about to expire the Grocery Outlet might practically give it away. Though their prices have gone up also.

I once bought a box of KIND breakfast bars there for 25 cents for the whole box because they were about to expire. Only bought one, didn't know if I'd like them but I did. Should have got more. Thought the price was a mistake but it wasn't. Also shelf stable non dairy milks. The stuff doesn't destruct on that certain date.

Edit to add: I once fished some 6+ years expired night time cold medicine out of the back of the cabinet I needed. Worked fine and I woke up the next morning. Obviously.
 
About the only things we need to use by or near the "exp" date are things like bread and milk. If the bread sits in the bread box too long, it may begin to get moldy, Milk is usually OK for several days if it spends 99% of its time in the fridge. Frozen/canned food is usually good for weeks or months.
 
Yes, I do pay attention to expiry dates especially on dairy. I cook a lot so nothing is ever ignored and food gets used way before expiration dates. But double check if you're not sure. I've never gotten food poisoning from expired or bad food. So that is good.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I got sick and spent a month+ touring local hospitals, in 2018. When I finally got home, I figured the fridge would be one giant mold. Opened the door, and nada-nothing. Most of the food was still edible. Since, then I don't pay attention to expiration dates, I let the food tell me when it's no good. And that's pretty obvious. I use bottled water, (too much iron in my well water), there's an expiration date on the bottle- really when was the last time water spoiled?
Do you pay attention to 'expiration' dates on products?
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Water does not 'spoil', but it can get 'stale'. You said you let food tell you when it is no longer edible. Water will do the same. It just tastes 'flat' rather than crisp when it gets old such as when it just sits in the sun in the bottle too long. Hope this helps.
 
There's a definite correlation between expiration dates and the amount of preservatives added to the product.

Packaged food that seems to last forever scares me. Canned food is an exception.

Bread, for example, should start getting moldy within 3 or 4 days. Store-bought bread refuses to grow mold for like 2 or 3 weeks. That's not normal. It's not natural, anyway.

I always check labels to see what kind of preservatives were used. If it's something I don't recognize or have trouble pronouncing, I avoid those products if I have a choice. There isn't always an alternative, though.
 
Generally for food, expiration dates are placed on them to protect the producer from liability should something nasty which requires time to grow turns up. Two groups of food are particularly prone to spoil: dairy and fresh fish. Don't overlook sour creme and other dairy based products. Food poisoning from sour creme is terrible to experience. The taste test does not work for things like sour creme. Also, unmentioned are other products with expiration dates such as toothpaste, cosmetics (especially herbal based ones), vitamins, etc. They may not spoil but, their effectiveness may substantially decline over time. Good topic to discuss.
 
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Murrmurr said:
Packaged food that seems to last forever scares me.
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This generalization may be a reach too far. How about jams and jellies or dried fruit or jerky? With all the sugar and salt used in their processing these products are well protected and often without chemical preservatives. Also, refrigerating them after opening them will slow down substantially any occurring spoilage process. As a matter of fact the practice of refrigeration will benefit almost everything in terms of reducing spoilage. It is a good habit to get into.
 
Wes said:
This generalization may be a reach too far. How about jams and jellies or dried fruit or jerky? With all the sugar and salt used in their processing these products are well protected and often without chemical preservatives. Also, refrigerating them after opening them will slow down substantially any occurring spoilage process. As a matter of fact the practice of refrigeration will benefit almost everything in terms of reducing spoilage. It is a good habit to get into.
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That's why I mentioned the exception of canned foods. Yeah, I'll include jars.
 
I do check expiration dates because in general gives me an idea how long the product is sitting around. That said I'm careful with dairy products. I go once a month to buy all my groceries, so I look for long expiry on milk, yogurt and fresh cheese. I buy several milk cartons but I put them in the freezer and take out one at a time and put in the fridge. By then some times one or two cartons are close or expired but the milk is still good. Had no problem with it.
Also like longer expiry on yogurt because I buy several big tubs but these ones go in the fridge. As for dry and or canned goods I do look at expiration yet I know it doesn't mean they will be spoiled after that date, just I would like products that I still can keep for a longer time.
When it comes to medicine, I don't use anything past expiry date because it may not be as effective as it should and or some could kind of spoil.
 
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