Posted on 10/03/2024 1:16:46 PM PDT by metmom
Before you put a food item into your cart or basket at the grocery store, you likely look for a “best by” date (or something of the like) to make sure you’ll be able to use it before it goes bad. But did you know that an expiration date and other food date labels are not the same?
Here’s what you need to know — from what each label means to which foods to avoid after their expiration date.
Expiration date vs. date labels: What’s the difference?
According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), an expiration date is typically only found on infant formula, which is regulated by the FDA. The “use by” date on infant formula refers to the date the manufacturer can ensure both the quality and nutrient content of the formula is safe for your baby. FDA regulations require this date to be clearly labeled on infant formula packaging because once that date passes, the product should no longer be given to babies.
(Excerpt) Read more at goodrx.com ...
“I stopped taking these seriously when I saw salt, which is generally millions of years old unless harvested from the sea, with an expiration date.”
Even though it never actually expires there is a reason they do that. Over time it absorbs moisture from the air and becomes as hard as a rock in one clump. So even though it is still good, it cannot be used as advertised and originally packaged.
They just covering their butts from ignorant complaints about the product after this happens. And you can bet they get these stupid complaints too.
My father cooked up some bacon back in the day... It stunk to high heaven and was obviously as rotten as hell... Us kids refused to eat it, but he did and nothing happened to him... He always saved the bacon drippings to enjoy latter by spreading them on toast. It almost makes me hurl to this day...LOL
Of course, nothing was ever going to happen to him. Especially after surviving the Korea war where he lost his lieutenant and several other soldiers from his company. He had urinary tract cancer, prostate cancer and cancerous polyps... Smoked and drank until the day he died at 88 years old. Tougher than nails.
After a couple of experiences like what you describe, I quit buying any food items from Amazon. To be fair, I have in the past bought some canned soup and such from Amazon that was perfectly OK.
Books are about all I get from Amazon these days.
You mean people aren’t standing in line for the discounted-about-to-expire foods at the grocery store? That’s where I find my best bargains! ;)
My hens started laying a week or so ago. So GLAD we’ve got them again. Our local Kwik Trip is selling Butter for $2.99/#, limit 2 per purchase. All of us in my local circle have been making the rounds and buying up as much as we can at that price. Butter freezes just fine. I’ve scored 4 so far. More by the weekend if all goes well. ;)
And I’m NOT just running out for the butter - I combine all of my errands on one day a week, and since I was meeting friends for lunch anyway, today was the day. :)
Candling eggs is a skill that is easy obtainable and identifies old eggs.
Freezer burned foods are unpalatable but can be consumed safely...that's why God made Louisiana Hot sauce...
None of that would surprise me in the least.
I can or pressure can a lot of food. I found some jars of applesauce I canned in 2011 and they are still good.
I only use them in zucchini bread, though.
Thanks for posting this.
If it was Progresso soup they have thick cans and ship well when by the case.
Amazon will just throw loose cans of various sizes and weights , even soda pop cans, loose into an oversized box and ship it out, but sometimes when you order cases the package holds together better and will be acceptable by the time it arrives.
I’ve never gotten recent dates for use by from Amazon. Always good long dates.
But the dents! Never seen dents like that in the grocery store. 1/4 of the packs I wouldn’t have touched in the store and am always nervous but use first in case it’s a recent dent in shipping. I play ordering games trying to force what gets packed with what to see if I can minimize the problem. Usually not.
I haven't heard that but it sounds like a good idea.
High acid foods can eat through the lining of the can. It's called *detinning*, and once the lining is gone, the acid destroys the metal. I actually saw that happen to maple syrup once. After that, when I buy maple syrup, I heat it to boiling on the stove and put it in hot jars and put a hot lid on it and screw the band down tight.
There's no need to process it as the temperature of something that high in sugar is well above boiling.
I can up only the tomatoes and make the sauce fresh.
I never quite felt comfortable hot water bath canning already seasoned sauce and never felt like pressure canning it.’
My d-i-l is one.
Course, that really started after she ate an old container of yogurt that didn't look great. Her own fault. We warned her.
Now she's become the expiration date police.
“”””Even though it never actually expires there is a reason they do that. Over time it absorbs moisture from the air and becomes as hard as a rock in one clump. So even though it is still good, it cannot be used as advertised and originally packaged.””””
That is an absolute fact and a wonderful example, and preppers need to let that register, much of the dating is for guaranteeing that it will be as perfect as when it left the plant, not safety.
I’ve eaten poorly stored canned cabbage (a So. Cal. coastal garage) that was over 25 years old and it was OK but the color was lighter than it should be and the texture was (possibly) a little mushier than when new.
The canned soups that arrived OK were 12-packs of Campbell’s. The worst-damaged stuff was an assortment of canned things that my wife had ordered, and Amazon did just what you said, though they did put some brown paper in the box too. The box was damaged, and the cans were all badly dented. I don’t remember how close the food was to its pull date.
That’s the way to do it.
Also, once Nov comes around, the stores always have good sales on baking supplies and that’s often when I stock up for the year. Mostly morsels and butter, these days. I have plenty of white flour.
This is an excellent guide with photos.
A Guide to Evaluating Dented Cans
https://www.larimer.org/sites/default/files/uploads/2017/lcdhe-dented-cans.pdf
You’re welcome.
There was a thread about medicine and expiration dates just the other day and it got me thinking about this, especially in light of the disasters and war in the Middle East, not to mention whatever is going to happen to this country come election time.
I see no good outcome whoever wins.
If Trump wins, the left will burn the cities down.
If harris wins, she’ll just finish the job of destroying the US that obama started.
Talk about being between a rock and a hard place.
Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!
I take my salt and use old glass tomato sauce jars with the lids that have the built in gasket. I put the salt in that and screw the lid on tight and it’s hermetically sealed.
No moisture in or out and it’s never caked on me.
Also, it’s a product you don’t see listed much on prepper articles but salt is critical for survival and in a SHTF, zombie apocalypse scenario, could literally be a life saver.
Ralph Nader had a lot to do with those practices...
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