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I would not rely on the sniff/slime/turn color evaluation on the deli meat. It all depends on when the package was opened - exposure to the elements is what rapidly spoils it, and you can still get a really bad case of the runs from luncheon meat that has not turned color and/or smells just fine. If it has been opened and sitting in the fridge for more than a week, I would toss it regardless of the date stamped on it. If it is still hermetically sealed, and upon opening smells and appears to be fresh, I'd eat it up to a week after expiration date.
Yeah I once read that it's the bacteria you can't see or smell which can give you food poisoning.
Foods do not have "expiration dates". You are looking at "best by dates".
The manufacturer and seller guarantee that the product will remain fresh until that date, if properly stored and unopened. After that date, it is perfectly safe and healthy to eat for many days, weeks, months or years, but the seller will no longer guarantee that it will meet your expectations as to flavor, consistency, freshness, etc.
It is amazing to me how few people actually understand this simple concept, even though on many products it actually states that it is the "best by" date. Often it's a "sell by" date, but with the same implications.
If the product is past the best-by date, open it and look at and smell it, and feel it for texture or sliminess. If it seems normal, then taste it. If it still seems normal, it is perfectly OK to eat without any health risk.
When I get to the bottom of a gallon of milk, usually a week or two after best-by date, it sloshes around in there with clotted material, somewhat like yogurt. (I'm currently on a "May 1" jug.) Not a problem. It tastes a little bit sour when taken straight, but there is plenty of sugar in adult cereals to neutralize the tartness, and it's actually better for baking..
Quote:
Originally Posted by PA2UK
just because something is still "good" because it isn't going to make you sick, doesn't mean it's still going to taste good.
You know, there is a fool-proof way to test for that, right?
You know, there is a fool-proof way to test for that, right?
Considering I went on to describe my personal experience with testing it (which you clipped out when you quoted me), obviously. I was just warning others!
Well, I have had food poisoning, an unforgettable experience, where I felt like I was going to die. Since that time, I am hyper-vigilant on food safety, quality, and freshness. Better be safe than sorry. I would rather toss anything questionable, than to have that experience again. I don't even like to eat out any longer.
Considering I went on to describe my personal experience with testing it (which you clipped out when you quoted me), obviously. I was just warning others!
The part of your comment that I clipped out reaffirmed exactly what I said. You exercised your foolproof way of finding out if it tasted good.
Are you trying to warn others that they should NOT taste it to see if it tastes good? And just assume that it doesn't, and throw it out, without testing it?
The part of your comment that I clipped out reaffirmed exactly what I said. You exercised your foolproof way of finding out if it tasted good.
Are you trying to warn others that they should NOT taste it to see if it tastes good? And just assume that it doesn't, and throw it out, without testing it?
Jesus Christ, is such pedantry really necessary? I was not warning them away from tasting it for themselves, just warning them that even if it smells and looks okay, be prepared for it not necessarily to taste okay when they bite into it. I was also just making conversation by sharing an experience with out of date food/drinks. If I knew I'd have to spend so much time explaining myself, I wouldn't have bothered. It was a simple comment.
Jesus Christ, is such pedantry really necessary? I was not warning them away from tasting it for themselves, just warning them that even if it smells and looks okay, be prepared for it not necessarily to taste okay when they bite into it. I was also just making conversation by sharing an experience with out of date food/drinks. If I knew I'd have to spend so much time explaining myself, I wouldn't have bothered. It was a simple comment.
Food poisoning can be acquired from luncheon meat that not only looks and smells alright, but also tastes alright. Ever wonder why you had a really bad case of the runs? Think about the freshness of the meat you ate in the last day or two. Salmonella, e. coli, listeria, etc. do not have a flavor. If in doubt throw it out is the best policy, because as an earlier poster stated, better to avoid the pain of getting food poisoning than to save a few dollars' worth of iffy food from the trash bin.
Ever wonder why you had a really bad case of the runs?
Well, I have IBS so there's no way to know for me most of the time.
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