How seriously do you take product expiration dates?

I take them seriously. To me, it's just not worth it even though as you say, SS, the manufacturer has that financial interest. I'm a wimp when it comes to pain, cramps, etc.
 
If there's an expiration date or Use By date, I'll go by that. If there's a Best By date, I'll use my judgment. There's also that waning that says use in seven days after opening. I use my judgment on that, too, but I'm never sure about it.
 
Some packaged foods have a "sell by" date instead of expiration, so I don't pay as much attention to that. I use my best judgement and the "sniff test" for a lot of things, but typically if canned goods are expired I get rid of them. (Because in my last pantry cleanout I had some stuff that had probably been there since 1999.)
 
Sell by dates...I don't take too seriously..use by dates I take very seriously indeed. I have a very weak stomach and anything even slightly on the turn is guaranteed to make me ill. I won't leave fish or poultry or pork until the use by date or even the day before. I'll always use it at least several days before, or it goes in the bin.
 
Canned, boxed, bagged goods get at least six months after date shown. Unless it looks like some sort of container damage. Frozen probably about the same, especially if it's precooked type stuff. That prepackaged lunch meat that's discounted at the supermarket due to upcoming date, I usually consider buying if I think I'll consume it within a week of the date and it looks OK.

But I do have an almost pathological thing about throwing away food that I've paid for and think is edible. And I've also paid the price with some discomfort, though not serious, for the occasional miscalculation.
 
I check the dates before I buy a product. Once I have it home and if I have forgotten to use the item I check to make sure the can isn't bulged, the top is on tight and what should be sealed still is sealed. I pour the contents in a bowl and check the inside of the can for erosion especially if the contents is an acid food like tomatoes. Never had a problem.

When an item is on sale we stock up and I'm pretty diligent about putting the older items in front. Meats I'm more fussy about and cold cuts get tossed if not eaten right away.
 
When I was in my late 20's I had a summer job working in a local drug store as stock clerk.
The boss always told us to rotate the items on the shelves,remove the ones that were close to the expiration date.
To this day whenever I go to the local convenient store down the street,I always ck their shelves for expiration items. I'm always finding them and tell the cashier on duty.When I come in a few days later,the same item hasn't been pulled,then I ask for the manager Sue
 
I probably should have mentioned that I don't eat meat or dairy, so I'm talking about canned foods, maybe some crackers, and frozen foods. Also cold meds and OTC pain relievers (supposedly they lose some potency. I can live with that.) We're told to replace cosmetics, sunscreen, and things like that every year. Gimme a break. Ditto spices.

Obviously if something looks or smells off it hits the trash immediately. Otherwise? I'm a daring woman who's willing to live with a certain amount of risk.

When I learned that kids' car seats have 5 year expiration dates (you read that right) from the date of manufacture, I thought to myself, this has really gone way too far. We don't replace seatbelts in vehicles every five years, why is it that we can't pass down infant and children's car seats to younger siblings. What a bunch of nonsense! (Car seat manufacturers claim the plastic could start to break down, then admit that they've not seen any said decomposition even after ten years.)
 
I use them as guidelines too Star, and have used many canned or boxed items beyond their Best Buy dates with no problems. I do look at dates when I shop, no sense in buying something that's about to expire. I just use my judgement on things, so far so good.
 
C'est Moi said:
Some packaged foods have a "sell by" date instead of expiration, so I don't pay as much attention to that. I use my best judgement and the "sniff test" for a lot of things, but typically if canned goods are expired I get rid of them. (Because in my last pantry cleanout I had some stuff that had probably been there since 1999.)
Click to expand...
Canned goods are perfectly safe for decades provided the metal is not damaged or corroded. Louis Pasteur demonstrated that it is microbes that cause putrifaction and if the product has been properly prepared to kill them off by heating then unless later exposed to air it will still be safe to eat. However, regardless of the use by date, any can that is damaged, dented or bloated should be rejected. Botulism is deadly.

Jars and bottles should also be safe provided the seal is intact. The worst that can happen is that the contents, if exposed to light, could discolour. However, once opened the contents will go off quickly. The exceptions are pickles, jams, chutneys and fruit in syrup because salt, sugar and vinegar are natural preservatives. They can last for a long time even after opening.

The sniff test is the best way to ascertain whether fresh food is edible. A container of milk, once opened should be consumed quickly. In hot weather milk can start to sour before the use by date. I doubt that sour milk is very dangerous, after all we enjoy sour cream, but the texture and taste are unpleasant.

I freeze all meat, chicken and fish and then the use by date is obsolete. Once thawed is it unwise to refreeze because it would not now be 100% free of bacteria. During thawing they start to multiply and if the meat etc is refrozen and thawed again they have a head start and may reach dangerous levels. Solution, cook ASAP after thawing to kill any bacteria before they produce any toxins.

The ancestors managed to survive without refrigeration or use by dates by using their common sense. We should use date stamps as a guide only and rely on common sense for food safety.
 
My wife once left a big steel bowl of salad fixings on the counter before she went shopping

She’s thoughtful like that

Ate the whole thing

Thousand island and crackers helped

When she got home, she asked what I’d done with the compost




Hey, there wasn’t no expiry date
 
One has to be sensible.One or two days after the use by date -no problem.But after that it's going.I do a weekly shop and won't buy anything that doesn't have a use by date at least five days ahead.I always go the the back of the shelf looking for later dated stuff.
Milk I sniff.if it smells ok date irrelevant.Eggs I place in water after the use by.If they sink they are fine.Often are months after the use by.
 
I always buy the latest expiration or use by dates. One thing I have found is that 1% milk will not stay fresh in the summer as long as it does in the colder months. So I buy 2% in the summer months and 1% in the winter months. Other than that I do about the same as the rest of you. Common sense is the main thing.
 

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