porridge - expiry dates?

[joko]

can porridge oats go off?

I have a few sachets of hunny bees flavoured & plain porridge oats, and some are over and some are nearing the date on the pack.

i know most companies add a date to stop you buying in bulk when there are offers and to stop shops selling years old food,

but a few weeks or months..will this be ok for porridge?

thanks

[brachiopod]

Foodstuffs with a 'best before' date just tend to get a bit stale-tasting with age. They don't generally constitute a health hazard if eaten after this date. ie "it tastes best eaten before this date".

Foodstuffs with a 'consume by' date are generally perishables with a short shelf life, such as fresh meat, fish, milk and associated products, bread etc. Eating these products a few days after the 'consume by' date could pose a risk as the product may be 'off'.

Just be sensible about it - if a yoghurt says 'consume by 1st Nov' - it's not suddenly going to go off at one second past midnight tonight, so I'd be fine eating it for breakfast tomorrow morning (and probably the day after that). Fish would be a bit different - you'd probably smell it first!!

Your porridge oats will be perfectly safe to eat for a long while yet, though they might start to taste a bit stale and flat a good few months down the line.

[mycatis]

I had a bag of oats in the back of my cupboard, months past their use by date and they were fine when I had them.

[qapmoc]

Hi joko, well yeah but be a bit carefull, oats (porridge) is one of those things which can be affected by the growth of a type of mold called aflotoxin's. These molds are a definate nnnooooo to eat even after cooking. I you note even a trace of dampness or mustiness bin it.

Regards the sell by dates etc.... companies only put them for one reason - because they are legally required to , otherwise I am sure they would put nothing at all and try to sell really old stuff to you.

[joko]

Hi qapmoc, The porridge is in individual portion sachets - would there still be a possibilty of these moulds growing?

thanks