Eating expired lunch meat is one thing, but what about consuming packaged food that has passed its “best before” date? With so many people tightening their household budgets, it comes as no surprise that people are loosening their standards on often arbitrary expiry dates. That funky-smelling bologna? Toss it. But that canned soup might still be good even if its label states otherwise.
Obviously common sense and a simple sniff test can help you determine whether to keep or toss produce and dairy products. (The worst thing that has happened to me is taking a swig of sour milk that had gone bad before its expiry date.) Special care needs to be taken for expired meat as there is a risk of it developing harmful bacteria and in the worst case listeriosis.
Where the standards become blurry are with packaged goods such as cookies, crackers, and chips, and canned foods, and soft drinks. Perfectly good food is thrown out on a regular basis because people think that food past the expiration date is spoiled. So long as the food has been properly stored, and the packaging is intact (no dents, or rips), then chances are, the food should be safe to eat (but it just might not be as tasty).
What are the Labelling Regulations?
It’s important to know that labelling on packaged foods varies slightly in different countries. For example, according to GourmetSleuth, in the US, so-called expiry dates are often voluntarily provided by manufacturers, and are not federally required with the exception of labelling dairy products in some states. Baby formula is required to have a “use-by” date.
Some manufacturers take advantage of the fact that people will often toss “expired” goods, and use expiry dates to encourage consumers to buy more, even when what they have is still edible. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has some useful information about food labelling.
Here is an excerpt about types of dates from the USDA website:
- A “Sell-By” date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
- A “Best if Used By (or Before)” date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
- A “Use-By” date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
- “Closed or coded dates” are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer.
In Canada, the term “best before” date is used. According to the Food Safety Network, any pre-packaged food that has a life of 90 days or less must be stamped with a “best before” date along with proper storage instructions if it is not to be kept at room temperature. Foods that have a shelf life of 90 days or more can have a “best before” date, but are not required. Foods that are packaged in-store such as bread must have a “packaged on” date. The only products to have “expiry dates” are drugs and baby formula.
The U.K. Leads the “Best Before” Goods Movement
There are two U.K. companies to my knowledge that focus on selling goods past their “best before”dates: Food Bargains and Approved Food. Both of these companies deliver groceries to your door and provide discounted prices.
A statement on the Approved Food website says:
“Some people believe consuming food & drink that has passed it’s “best before” date is unacceptable and these people might be better of shopping at www.tesco.com.
Our customers have a more educated view on best before dates and what these actually mean. And for these people, Approved Food can offer fantastic value that no supermarket can ever compete with on price.”
As someone who was raised to clean each plate and not to waste food, I can’t wait until companies such as Food Bargains and Approved Food set up shop in my neighbourhood.
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