Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We are constantly running into these types of issues. Sell-by dates are consistently close to current date...
As discussed in previous threads, that should not be an issue. Sell-by dates are very conservative, allowing for normal storage at home. Sell-by means SELL by. It is still considered fresh ON the sell-by date. So many people are confused by this simple fact that at least one state is currently considering banning sell-by dates. They're causing more problems than they're worth.
And canned goods have no real expiration date. They're safe and healthy to eat for 10 years after the date on the can. That date on the can is voluntary and put there primarily for inventory control purposes.
If a can is bad it has nothing to do with the date, it simply had a bad seal, which occasionally happens. Or it got damaged in transit, which also happens. Take it back and get a refund.
Milk going bad, bread molding quickly... these are reflecting problems with transit or storage, not with expiration dates.
And don't forget, check your own refrigerator for correct temperature (40 F or less) and proper air circulation. If either is off it can drastically reduce keeping times for your food.
disagree about cheaper store brands- they are usually packaged side by side with national brands.
agree about fresh
you are right, it make little or no difference. We rarely get anything that is spoiled; produce, of course is number one, especailly in the warm summer months and fresh bread is number 2. It has little to do with the brand but more to do with the preservatives. The fewer the prservatives, the quicker the bread will spoil. Quite often, if the bread is baked in the store, almost no preservatives are used;good bread, but quick to spoil..
As discussed in previous threads, that should not be an issue. Sell-by dates are very conservative, allowing for normal storage at home. Sell-by means SELL by. It is still considered fresh ON the sell-by date. So many people are confused by this simple fact that at least one state is currently considering banning sell-by dates. They're causing more problems than they're worth.
And canned goods have no real expiration date. They're safe and healthy to eat for 10 years after the date on the can. That date on the can is voluntary and put there primarily for inventory control purposes.
If a can is bad it has nothing to do with the date, it simply had a bad seal, which occasionally happens. Or it got damaged in transit, which also happens. Take it back and get a refund.
Milk going bad, bread molding quickly... these are reflecting problems with transit or storage, not with expiration dates.
And don't forget, check your own refrigerator for correct temperature (40 F or less) and proper air circulation. If either is off it can drastically reduce keeping times for your food.
While it may not be an issue with you, I do believe that expiration dates are there for a reason. While if I have a cake mix that expired on 11-30, I will use it for the holidays and not toss it. But I also think there is a problem when I go to purchase a bag of frozen peas this afternoon and their date is 1-3-13.
No matter how food is preserved and well that process is over seen, food is not designed to be eternally "safe". Perhaps GMO stuff lasts longer, but that is a topic for another day and another thread.
Chromekitty, canned goods last an incredibly long time. There have been multiple tests done on 50+ year old canned items, and while the nutrient quality degrades, the safety is rarely compromised. How about C-rations and MREs? These things have been eaten by our military for decades after their manufacture. Nothing in the world to do with GMO, that hasn't even existed long enough to make these types of claims on.
Clearly a boxed mix does not have the shelf life that something that was 1) heated under pressure past the boiling point, then 2) sealed in an O2 impermeable container, and 3) does not contain a chemically active leavener does. Freezing in thin plastic without purging air will also lead to rapid damage, and the freezer isn't a true long term food storage solution, anyway.
Either the seal was damaged on the OP's can, or the stink wasn't spoilage.
Chromekitty, canned goods last an incredibly long time. There have been multiple tests done on 50+ year old canned items, and while the nutrient quality degrades, the safety is rarely compromised. How about C-rations and MREs? These things have been eaten by our military for decades after their manufacture. Nothing in the world to do with GMO, that hasn't even existed long enough to make these types of claims on.
Clearly a boxed mix does not have the shelf life that something that was 1) heated under pressure past the boiling point, then 2) sealed in an O2 impermeable container, and 3) does not contain a chemically active leavener does. Freezing in thin plastic without purging air will also lead to rapid damage, and the freezer isn't a true long term food storage solution, anyway.
Either the seal was damaged on the OP's can, or the stink wasn't spoilage.
You have missed my point, entirely.
As far as MRE's are concerned, they are manufactured simply for caloric intake. They are packed with preservatives to hold shelf life. But you will not find expired ones out in the field, as it is against govco regulations.
And again, while you may feel it is safe to push those limits, I will not do so. There are many who are experiencing things just as our OP has.
Mine wasn't even the store brand. It was the pricey "health food" brand. I really don't appreciate a loaf of bread that goes moldy in three days. I've run into a lot of nonsense in the last six months.
I understand what you mean, I like the pricey "health food" brands myself sometimes, but actually because they are labeled health food, it means that they probably have less artificial ingredients and Preservatives, which means they can go bad faster.
you are right, it make little or no difference. We rarely get anything that is spoiled; produce, of course is number one, especailly in the warm summer months and fresh bread is number 2. It has little to do with the brand but more to do with the preservatives. The fewer the prservatives, the quicker the bread will spoil. Quite often, if the bread is baked in the store, almost no preservatives are used;good bread, but quick to spoil..
Exactly.
(Actually most food is good well beyond the expiration date, if you read up on the matter.)
And I agree with the idea mentioned earlier that it wasn't that the food had "expired" but that it was probably sealed wrong in the first place.
Mine wasn't even the store brand. It was the pricey "health food" brand. I really don't appreciate a loaf of bread that goes moldy in three days. I've run into a lot of nonsense in the last six months.
With the healthier breads you're going to see mold appear a lot quicker....it's the lack of perservatives.
I wish they would sell half loaves of bread. I don't eat a whole loaf before it goes icky and it kills me to pitch it.
Not a fan of keeping bread in the fridge, but will do it if I have to.
While it may not be an issue with you, I do believe that expiration dates are there for a reason. While if I have a cake mix that expired on 11-30, I will use it for the holidays and not toss it. But I also think there is a problem when I go to purchase a bag of frozen peas this afternoon and their date is 1-3-13.
No matter how food is preserved and well that process is over seen, food is not designed to be eternally "safe". Perhaps GMO stuff lasts longer, but that is a topic for another day and another thread.
I think there is a misconception on what is meant by expirabtion date andhow long something is safe to be used after the date. Yes, most of us know, dairy products go bad quickly after the date on the container, I would have a problem using meat more than a few days after the date unless I had frozen it, but non parishables, like canned goods, cake mixes and the like are good for a year or more. I work at a food bank and we follow the policies set by the government on what we distribute. I think it is anything less than 1 year after the date is safe to use. We do not deal in frozen items, but I have used frozen veggies that have been in the freezer a year or more. Sometimes the quality has deminished, but the food is still safe to eat. For those who are worried, yes, toss the foods, but for the most part they are still very edible.
Sell-by dates are consistently close to current date
Sell-by dates mean exactly that: SELL BY. The date has nothing to do with the safety or quality of the product, which often is fresh days and days after the printed date.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chromekitty
I do believe that expiration dates are there for a reason. While if I have a cake mix that expired on 11-30.
Yes, they are: Expiration dates are there so that the manufacturers may cover their asses.
The cynic in me also thinks they're there to fool a gullible and easily panicked public into throwing away perfectly good food and buying more.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita
Sometimes the quality has deminished, but the food is still safe to eat.
Exactly.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't eat a whole loaf before it goes icky and it kills me to pitch it.
