Use by dates - how brave are you?

[plowter]

How many days (or weeks) after the use by date do you feel brave enough to eat fresh food?

[boxtops]

I wouldn't keep fish more than a couple of days past the date, but I might freeze it if I can't eat it straight away. I've got yoghurt from August, it's fine.

[cecil39]

reminds me of when my Daughter came to stay and threw out my fave St Agur cheese because she thought it was 'off' so next time she came to stay I sat and ate some 'stinking bishop' she was disgusted, she also throws out anything on its use by date even if its fine, which disgusts me, such a waste.

[JonnyBoy12]

I will eat anything that is out of date as long as it looks, smells and tastes all right.

Do you ever eat dates that are out of date?

[maggiebee]

Can dates go out of date? Ah well, maybe have to dump the ones left over from last Christmas ♥

[ludwig]

I never eat anything after the use by date, and I never throw anything away either. I eat everything in good time so there's no waste.

Sell by date is different. You can pretty much ignore that altogether.

[phleb]

just the one, and then it goes in bin.

[FredPuli43]

Same as most of the above.Some of us were brought up before sell and use by dates! Smell and look is enough. I have tinned laver bread here which is three years beyond date, but it won't affect me.

The ultimate test is whether the dog will try to eat it. If the dog won't eat something it normally would, then the food is probably fatal to you! Dogs have evolved digestions which can safely cope with things which would make us ill.

[JonnyBoy12]

Don't ditch those Christmas dates, maggiebee. That was meant to be a joke. I would think that your dates are still okay to eat. Give them to me if you are in any doubt.

[Canary42]

I totally ignore use by dates, they're just a commercial con-trick. If it looks/smells good (or the bad bits can be trimmed off like cheese for example) then I'll eat it. Only suffered food poisoning once in 70 years and that was when I ate out.