27 replies to this topic

[Simon]

When I worked in the canning industry, I found a catering size can of rice pudding that was dated some 10 years prior in one of the cupboards.

So as I was bored and it was a saturday (before i reached senior management days!) we opened the can and did a full micro suite of tests and then carried out a "taste test"

I'm still here, and as long as the can is not damaged, and the food looks and smells ok, i'll still eat it.

Your my kinda girl Caz.

[Charles.C]

Dear Simon,

I guess that makes the score 2 - 0.2 in favour of ignoring expiry dates as compared to OL evaluation ?

My prediction -

(a) Most people have no awareness regarding the distinction between Use By and Best Before where it exists (or only discovered it on a forum like this) and (b) even if they know, make no use of such knowledge in their routine eating habits.

The linked forum on Pg6 has (with some odd spellings amended) –

Only an idiot or a gambler ignores the use dates, as a lecturer on food safety I hear of the deaths and illness caused by out of date food.

Pathogens are not detectable by look, smell and taste as opposed to spoilage bacteria which often are not harmful but make the product look, smell or taste bad hence you refuse to eat it.

Had pathogens been detectable by organoleptic means 21 people would still be alive and over 500 would not have been ill from just 1 butcher in Lanarckshire in the mid 90's.

Eating out of date food will one day lead to an illness and maybe your death, it's a gamble and fortunately it’s your gamble.

The at risk groups are the young, old, ill and immunocompromised groups.

Eat well and live long.

Regards

Chris

Obviously the level of the risk depends on various factors and people will differ in their "risk adverse" index.

How often do you stand under a tree in a thunder storm ?



Rgds / Charles.C

[sirilucky]

I think safer food does not depend based on the state but it depends on the quality of food and how healthier it is. I am a total organic nut and prefer having only organic food for my health as Organic foods are made according to certain production standards. The use of conventional non-organic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides is greatly restricted and avoided as a last resort. They are reared without the routine use of antibiotics and without the use of growth hormones, and generally fed a healthy diet.