There was one December when we went to the Duty free shop here after coming home from a foreign tour. There was a sale of chocolates and biscuits so we grabbed a cart full to serve as our Christmas giveaways to friends. But it was disappointing to learn while packing the food baskets that those items on sale were to expire in the middle of January (the following month). It’s still okay for a Christmas giveaways though but that’s a neat lesson. When it comes to food items, quality is first and second is the expiration date.
Is expiry date is certain? I mean once it is over then food is not good for eat. Isn't it possible that food may get harmful early than date? Or they give date perfectly or early date or kind of that. I always have this thought in my mind, but never got answer for it.
@naruto100 yes most of these foods which are put on discount sale have shorter expiry date which are sold for lower price. People with immediate demand take them home and consume before expiry. This trend is not only popular in our own country but developed countries too. People buy these products and make a good saving on them.
I will purchase food that has an almost near expiration date as long as I can consume it before it expires only is what I buy. Most stores who have sales have products with good expiration dates, but sometimes there are some products with expiration date on the day of purchase, these I push aside and see if there are any with later expiration dates.
I think the expire date on some of the items are wrong. It could either be the item will actually expire at a further date than the one stated or the item will expire before the date that has been labelled on it. I was almost paying for bread that still had up to three days to expire but when I looked at it critically again I saw mucor at one tiny area on the bread.
There are different types of expiry dates. The Best Before type usually found on dry canned or frozen goods will often last a lot longer than the Use by dates found on fresh food which should be more closely adhered to. I remember reading in the paper that an old couple had been saving tinned chicken for a special occasion and they ate it 50 years later! Their daughter was terrified they would be poisoned but amazingly they suffered no ill effects!
Most foods will last beyond the expiry date without making you ill. It's just that the product has the best flavor or texture if used before that date. I'd be a bit more careful with meats, but something like bread isn't going to instantly make you sick if you eat it the next day or something. It doesn't just instantly go bad at the stroke of midnight, ha ha. I buy lots of stuff that's getting close to the date, as long as I'm sure I can use it quickly (or freeze it by then, if possible). Many foods can be frozen and kept for quite a bit longer. You can get some very big discounts this way and save a lot of money. I used to work in a discount grocer. Most of the foods were close to or past the "best by" date. They didn't have people getting sick after buying their stuff. If that were the case, they'd be sued and closed down. They had to take a course on handling food properly, and many of the foods were frozen before they went out of date.
I agree with all of you that "Best before..." is kind of statuary obligation and a warning that company suggests to use it within a particular time frame. In most cases the items are safe if consumed within couple of days of dates mentioned on the label. But certain items like yogurt, milk and curd should be consumed within expiry period as they develop bacteria after that.
Yes items kind of milk and yogurt should be finished on time before the expiry date. Well, I don't that chance for any food item though. Items kind of yogurt and milk can get mess up early if temperature is too hot. So better we take care of all things and put them in cool area.
It all depends on what the food is, whether or not I plan to use it right away, or whether or not I can freeze it and therefore make it last a little longer. I won't buy something just because it is on sale if I don't need it, that would be a waste of money. Even if something is, say for instance, 75% off. If I don't need it, or if I really don't eat that kind of food, just buying it because it's on sale can be counter-productive.
Yes I save by buying on food that is nearing expiration dates. However, I always ensure they are consumed very quickly. I read somewhere that canned foods are still good for another three months after the expiration date so this always gives me a bit of peace when making these purchases. I don't stock up too much on these though. I pick certain food times that is consumed daily and in large amount so the batch can be eaten quickly. I try not to buy diary products at all. I prefer only canned food under this category.
