sea salt

[electricblue]

I have some sea salt i was gonna use tonight but it has a sell by date of aug 03,my hubby says its ok to use cos salt cant go off but why put a date on then??

[nickmo]

Hi leccy - Salt is a mineral. It can be stored indefinitely without going stale, but best to use it up if it has been opened as there will be some deterioration compared to a new pack, if it has got moisture into it.

Food labelling requires a date - as you state, it is a 'sell by' - note it isn't a 'use by' or 'best before'....

[gammaray]

UK food legislation requires either a Best Before of Use By date to comply with food safety legislation. Manufacturers can decide arbitrarily to add a sell by date as this applies only to food quality and not safety. Sea salt will have a date after which moisture ingress will render the quality below what would normaly be the case for normal use, although it could still be used safely as salt does not carry a Use By or BB date

[Buenchico]

I topped up my salt cellar the other day from a packet of salt I found at the back of my kitchen cupboard. It took me a while to work out where the packet had come from - then I realised that it was among the stuff that I'd cleared out from my father's kitchen when he died in 1994. As I recall, the packet looked to be at least a dozen years old then, so it's probably at least a quarter of a century old now.

I've seasoned two or three meals with that salt in the last few days and I've not dropped dead yet!

Don't worry, salt can't go off.

Chris

[heathfield]

Electricblue - hubby's right. And salt is actually exempt from any 'Best Before' or 'Sell by' date requirement. See under 'Exemptions' on http://www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/label/a-5.htm It's all very curious. Maybe you could email the manufacturer and, in light of the exemption, ask why they've done it? Then let us all know?

[gammaray]

As I've said. It's an indication to the user of the shelf life in terms of best quality. It's not a food safety issue so doesn't need to be added, although manufacturers can if they so wish.

[Gef]

Since the salt is probably a few million years old I wouldn't bother about a sell by date.

[electricblue]

Thanx all of you,i'm gonna go run a bath and sit in salted water now,then put it back in the cupboard,,,don't ask!!!!!