Expiration Dates?

[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!

[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).

[BDBopper]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

You can freeze bread too, if you eat it really slowly. My bread eating rate actually went up since I'm home and trying to eat sandwiches for lunch to save money. Speaking of which, I've finally found a wheat bread I like: Sara Lee's Honey Wheat. It's tasty!

Sara Lee bread is very good! I couldn't agree more.

[BDBopper]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

Have you seen the price of cereal lately?

Yes I have. Ouch! We can thank the ethanol credits. Instead of corn going into cereal and other products it's going into fuel. Thus we now have a shortage of corn which results in more expensive products and less of them.I am not opposed to ethanol but it should be derived from something that isn't an ingredient in our food.

[Not Afraid]

I buy my cereal at Trader Joes (Optimum with Blueberries and Flax) that has lots of "good stuff" in it and no sugar and organic to boot. It's like $3.50 and lasts me a week.

[blueerica]

Originally Posted by BDBopper

Yes I have. Ouch! We can thank the ethanol credits. Instead of corn going into cereal and other products it's going into fuel. Thus we now have a shortage of corn which results in more expensive products and less of them.I am not opposed to ethanol but it should be derived from something that isn't an ingredient in our food.

I figured that the bigger issue in terms of the cost of corn, etc, at least this year, was rising fuel costs and the floods in the Midwest. Damage to crops is being cited as why stock in ethanol has plummeted, though there are sources that cite ethanol being precisely the reason for high prices of foods. (I prefer to think it's always a storm of several events that cause most situations, especially this one, given the history of subsidies, government action, consolidation, etc, of the corn industry).

I do agree that others sources should be preferred, especially when there are crops, such as a kind of grass I can't remember that would have a higher yeild of ethanol, and would be easier to refine (it's pricey to refine corn into ethanol). If they were that hung up on corn, you could use the kernel for food and the rest could be.

Back on topic, I just noticed that the yogurt I just bought four days ago will expire in 4 more days. WTF? I think it'll still be good, but seriously...

[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.