Expiration Dates?

[Morrigoon]

Because cooking oil relies a lot on corn.

Oh, and tonight I was planning on grabbing some Dreyer's ice cream... till I saw their new size. WTF? I hate when they pull that. So I voted with my dollars and bought the store brand, which was 1.75qts instead of 1.5qts (which Dreyer's and Breyer's have gone to). Of course, neither is 1/2 gallon.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Um, here's the deal on "expiration" dates: Companies want you to buy more of their product. The date printed on meat and dairy is a "sell by" date. The product should be good in a cold refrigerator for a week after the date. Dry goods, canned goods, etc., sometimes have a "best by" date. Ignore this, it's a completely arbitrary number. If its gone rancid, you'll smell it. Otherwise, use the groceries you've paid for. Macaroni and cheese in a box is something that would take a year or so to go funky. Of course the company is going to tell you to throw it away if its past the fake date. They want you to give them more money.

I once had a customer call me, demanding to know why my product didn't have an expiration date. When I explained to him that my product was good for at least a month, if stored in a cool place more like 90 days, he would not be mollified. "Every other product has an expiration date! Why doesn't yours?" I couldn't convince him that this was not true. Go through the grocery store, there are still plenty of products that don't suddenly and magically "expire" from one day to the next. When he suggested that I might be looking at a lawsuit, I thanked him for his suggestions, told him to throw away my product, and, if he really felt the need, I would notify my insurance company and lawyer. What a maroon.

So, it boils down to this. Keep the fridge door closed. Store your dry goods in a cool, dry place. Don't buy dented cans. Close the fridge. Keep meat in the coolest part of the fridge and freeze what you're not going to use in 3 days. Don't stand in front of the fridge with the door open. Processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, and lunchmeat are full of preservatives, keep them until they smell odd. Eggs last forever.

And close the damn fridge door!

[Strangler Lewis]

And don't read in the dark.

Here in Switzerland, most stuff has a sell by date and a use by date. I'm always appalled to find things at our local Whole Foods that are past their date. Of course, I'm also appalled when the butcher/fish man gives me the pieces from the top and back that are less fresh and look it.

On the subject of planned obsolescence in food, I'm also convinced that the egg candler of old has been replaced by an egg tapper. I'm finding more cracked eggs than ever when I check a carton.

[Gn2Dlnd]

Do you swap out broken eggs for good ones, or do you go through cartons until you find a full dozen unbroken? I only ask because I was taught to swap, but I occasionally get funny looks in the store when I do this.

Switzerland?

[Strangler Lewis]

I don't swap. I figure the egg people owe me the satisfying experience of twelve loose wiggles.

Or maybe I just never thought of it.

[blueerica]

While I generally ignore expiration dates (except when I realize it's been a while since I've opened something, I have definitely noticed foods spoiling sooner. Perhaps the title of this thread is misleading, at least toward what I'm experiencing, particularly with milk (which has in the past month or so spoiled twice before the expiration date).

As for other items, I don't think I buy much with an expiration date... just milk, pre-made broth. I'm just noticing that the cheese is fuzzier sooner, chips are stale more quickly.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by blueerica

Perhaps the title of this thread is misleading, at least toward what I'm experiencing, particularly with milk (which has in the past month or so spoiled twice before the expiration date).

That fits with the concept of a reduced delivery schedule to the store. Products are sitting longer in the warehouse or on loading docs where the storage conditions might be less than perfect.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

Indeed. And it's what I'm experiencing, too.

Gn2Dland, I don't think this as anything to do with companies faking expiration dates. This topic came up because I noticed food spoiling quickly after purchase; particularly things that I used to use up over the course of weeks. Only then did I start checking expiration dates, which, sure enough, had passed more quickly than they used to.

I think the lack of deliveries could explain it - but, perhaps they need to order LESS STOCK because when they're selling sour cream that has already passed its date, even though it will last awhile longer than its date, I STILL can't use it all before it starts to go fuzzy.

We eat mostly fresh foods. Hardly anything from a can. No meat, only salmon, and I'm not having a problem with that. So far, we're only having this problem with dairy (fat free yogurt, fat free sour cream, skim milk) and bread (pita, low-carb tortillas, and english muffins.) We don't buy fruit or vegetables from grocery stores - I shudder to think how quickly THOSE would go bad!

[Gn2Dlnd]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

Gn2Dland, I don't think this as anything to do with companies faking expiration dates. This topic came up because I noticed food spoiling quickly after purchase; particularly things that I used to use up over the course of weeks. Only then did I start checking expiration dates, which, sure enough, had passed more quickly than they used to.

Oh, I was just shocked that Mousewife threw away taco seasoning and boxed mac & cheese. Didn't mean to derail your misleadingly named thread.

To rerail, I have not experienced food going bad faster. I do know, however, that when Chernajoe buys tortillas, they go moldy faster because the kitchen is warmer in summer. I had some chocolate in the cupboard go all melty, too. It could just be that you're noticing things you wouldn't normally refrigerate going bad faster because it's summer. Some people store food on top of the fridge or next to Mr. Coffee, where it gets warm, too. For crackers and cereal, Zip-loc bags are your friends.

Among the couple of things I know, food storage is right up there.

[blueerica]

Actually, now that I think of it, bread was going rather quickly, too. I just figured it had something to do with where I'm storing it. It's just above the sink with other items, since I have a 'storage space' issue in my kitchen.

I've actually been (purposely) buying bread less and eating more salads (which I presume is good since I'm often dressing-free, or at most a few pumps of that balsamic spritzer stuff) - but when I do, I've been putting it in the fridge, which seems to help it keep a bit longer (though I always seem to enjoy the bread less).