Extreme cheapskates state flatly that food can still be consumer two or three days after it's sell by date. I may not be a health expert but I think that for some kinds of food, they will have gone bad by the time you get to consuming them and cause yourself more problems that would cost more to fix . . . Question to you guys is, do you throw away food the moment it goes beyond it's sell-by date or do you give it a couple of more days before accepting the fact that it's no good for consumption?
The sell-by date is NOT the same as an expiration date. The sell-by date is only the timeframe that the grocery store puts on when they need to have it out of the store. And yes, this allows for a few extra days for the food to be consumed afterward.
The sell-by date is not the expiration date, so eating something a few days beyond the sell-by date is totally fine. I'll even eat some things past the expiration date, depending what it is.
This is an interesting question but I'm not really sure if you meant by expiration date or sell by date. If we are talking about sell by date then yes I still eat and keep the food for another few days but if it's expired then the only product I'm brave enough to eat after is egg.
I totally agree with your statement. But I can never attempt to eat food that is past the expiration date, it is just dangerous.
I trust my nose and sense of taste when it comes to food that has gone past its recommended use-by date. I am very conscious about not wanting to waste anything. That's why I shop frequently and buy fresh products that we usually consume within a couple of days in our household. But generally speaking, if I detect the slightest dubious smell at all, I will not hesitate to throw the food away immediately.
I think that we could judge this on our own. I heard that its illegal to NOT put a date on a product and hence why they all have it. I think that they should have a "produce" date instead of an expiration date, because it is indeed true that the foods can last a day or 2 after the expiration date, even my doctor says that. So yes, I do consume after an expiration date, but a limit of up to 3 days.
When I was little my parents had a store and each time certain products went past the sell date/expired we ate them. Had no health problems. Now, the things we ate were sweets or crackers - not exactly the kind of foods that tend to make you sick if eaten past the expiration date. With meat or dairy products we couldn't have done the same since eating them expired is a sure way to get sick. While we saved some money by not throwing that food away, these days I wouldn't do the same.
If it's meat for example I take a look and I smell it, if it still looks good I cook it. The same with yogurts or other products. Basically I see the expiration date as a reference and not as something final, final is the judgment I make of the product, if it looks good, possibly it's good.
As for me, I taste it first. So if the food still smells good or neutral and I don't detect any bad taste, then I will definitely eat it. Especially if the "best before" date is just recent, like it has only been a few days since it's declared shelf life expired, then I think that it's still perfectly safe to eat.
I always use sight, taste and smell before eating anything. Sometimes things are spoiled before the "eat before" date or expiry date, so I throw it away. But sometimes things are still good past "due date" or expiry date, especially when left in the fridge etc. Depending what it is I will sometimes eat it. I will never eat meat past expiry or chicken. But some dairy products can be eaten and so can some bread products. I always leave things in the fridge, such as bread, so it lasts longer. I have put milk into items I cook that has expired maybe 1-2 days and it's fine. If it smells sour then its down the drain. So I guess it depends on what it is, and if it smells or looks like it is still good or gone bad.
I wouldn't throw away food just because it's past the recommended date, but I usually won't buy something that is nearing the date even if there's a discount, unless I'm really sure I'll be consuming it immediately. I'd much rather give up the savings and have more time to consume my goods instead of feeling rushed. I still do sometimes throw out things past the date, though, but only if it's too far off as I'd much prefer to waste that food rather than risk it and therefore have to deal with hospital bills eventually.
