# Trash it or Eat It?



## Steve Kroll (May 13, 2014)

A friend of mine shared this article from the Cleveland Clinic with me today, so I thought I would pass it along. I had previously assumed that a date on a container represented the "throw it out" date, but that isn't always the case.

Trash It or Eat It? The Truth About Expiration Dates — Health Hub from Cleveland Clinic

No rules are ever ironclad, but I think there are some valid guidelines in the article.


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## Andy M. (May 13, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> A friend of mine shared this article from the Cleveland Clinic with me today, so I thought I would pass it along. I had previously assumed that a date on a container represented the "throw it out" date, but that isn't always the case.
> 
> Trash It or Eat It? The Truth About Expiration Dates — Health Hub from Cleveland Clinic
> 
> No rules are ever ironclad, but I think there are some valid guidelines in the article.



It's useful to have the differences in the dating options laid out.  I'm not sure I ever see an expiration date.  It's always one of the other options.


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## Aunt Bea (May 13, 2014)

These articles always crack me up 4 to 6 months, one to two years, that is quite a bit of leeway.

I look at the dates.  I also use a little common sense or life experience, whatever it's called and make a decision that feels right for me.

One item I seem to have problems with on a regular basis is the bagged salad in the produce section.  The dates are almost meaningless.  I look for the longest date and then still try to look at the salad itself to see if it is brown or starting to get slimy.


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## Steve Kroll (May 13, 2014)

Aunt Bea said:


> One item I seem to have problems with on a regular basis is the bagged salad in the produce section.


Ain't that the truth?

Those bags of lettuce always seem to start going wilty as soon as you get them home. I find that a head of fresh lettuce keeps much longer in the fridge than the pre-packaged stuff. 

I have to admit that I still buy them simply for the convenience factor, though.


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## Kayelle (May 13, 2014)

Milk.....I pour it down the sink on the date on the carton even if it might still be good. That's a hard and fast rule for me. There's nothing more disgusting than a gulp of even slightly "off" milk. 

On the other hand, I pay practically no attention to dates on things like yogurt or buttermilk.


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## Aunt Bea (May 13, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> Ain't that the truth?
> 
> Those bags of lettuce always seem to start going wilty as soon as you get them home. I find that a head of fresh lettuce keeps much longer in the fridge than the pre-packaged stuff.
> 
> I have to admit that I still buy them simply for the convenience factor, though.



I buy them for the variety of a little cabbage, carrot etc...

You are right though I should buy a head of lettuce or some other sturdy green and put together my own salad from odds and ends in the vegetable crisper!  

I will make that a resolution!


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## jennyema (May 13, 2014)

When you are buying something as opposed to when you are using something, the dates give you an idea of what's fresher.

I rummage in the back at the store to get the latest date.


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## Oldvine (May 13, 2014)

I use the dates as a guide, but I assume I have good common sense and use it after checking those dates.


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## Cooking Goddess (May 13, 2014)

I've used those dates to my advantage. If I'm buying, I do like jennyema - I'm always looking for the one with the farthest-out date. If I'm pulling from my stock at home I use my judgement. Food Network did a show with Master Chefs competing with making a safe and tasty meal from foods destined for the dumpster. Amazing what you can do with "garbage".






Aunt Bea said:


> ...One item I seem to have problems with on a regular basis is the bagged salad in the produce section.  The dates are almost meaningless.  I look for the longest date and then still try to look at the salad itself to see if it is brown or starting to get slimy.


I don't even like the taste of the bagged ones anymore. They say the lettuce isn't treated, but even when fresh I taste something "off". Instead, I'll buy a head of iceberg, a head of romaine and, when on sale, tubs of spring mix or arugula or baby spinach. When the weather is warm I swear I have enough greens to open a salad bar.

I have an old Tupperware container for the iceberg, but if I need to move the new one into the tub before the last bit of the old one is gone I find the older one stays fresh for another day or so I I put the piece into a produce bag with a paper towel under the core end.


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## Zagut (May 14, 2014)

Thanks for the link Steve.
More folks need to know that these dates are not carved in stone. They are a guideline and have more to do with quality rather then if the food is eatable or not. Food poisoning is nothing to play with but common sense has to come into play at some point. Err on the side of caution but don't let a date rule your decision. If someone can afford to toss good food more power to them. (I'd like to see more used at food banks and such) Sure it's better used earlier but I'm too cheap and have used too much stuff past it's date to worry much about what's stamped on the can.


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## Addie (May 14, 2014)

I am always looking for "Manager's Special" in the meat section. It is usually a piece of meat that should have been sold the day before or that day. That piece goes right into the freezer as soon as I get home from the grocery store. It is still a good piece of meat, and has been trimmed as a rule. It can be as much as $3.00 a pound less than other like pieces in the meat department. I have never had a problem with any that I have bought. 

Like the article said, most of those labels are just a courtesy of the manufacturer. As a child, they were never there. There are no real guidelines for the company to follow regarding just how long the shelf life may be. When I lived in Tacoma, a local dairy had a small store that used to sell their overflow of their milk and other dairy products. They had one fridge that had day old "pulled milk". It was one day past the date on the container. It was more than half off. If I was going to be using it in baking, I would buy a quart or two. It would stay fresh for more than a couple of days. A couple of times I even put a quart or two in the freezer. Came out just fine. 

When I buy my half and half I always look for the date furthest away. I buy it by the half gallon. Cheeses and other dairy, I never look at the "best if used by" date. I figure if the date comes and goes, my cheese is aging to a better flavor. 

The date on can goods is usually the date of production. Not a "Best ..." date.


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## Roll_Bones (May 15, 2014)

Aunt Bea said:


> One item I seem to have problems with on a regular basis is the bagged salad in the produce section.  The dates are almost meaningless.  I look for the longest date and then still try to look at the salad itself to see if it is brown or starting to get slimy.



I do the same thing and I am certain the produce manager hates to see me come in the store.
I immediately reach for the bags in the very back and in Costco, I have been known to move heavy crates out of the way to get to the freshest asparagus bag at the bottom.
I rarely buy package lettuce with the exception of baby spinach and mixed spring greens.  I also buy shredded coleslaw mix in the bag.



jennyema said:


> When you are buying something as opposed to when you are using something, the dates give you an idea of what's fresher.
> I rummage in the back at the store to get the latest date.



My daughter worked at a grocery store when she was in school.
She laughed at me when she saw me going through the bags of greens.
She told me the store was smarter than me and actually put the new ones in front as they knew the customers would go for the ones in the back.

So, now I have to check ALL of them to find the newest date.
It never hurts to ask if a fresher batch is in the back.  I have on many occasions been rewarded with newer dated product, just for asking.


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## Stock Pot (May 15, 2014)

*Vinegar*

I recently opened up a bottle of Chinese vinegar I found in the basement that had been sitting (unopened) on the shelf for 12 years. It was fine. Still smelled good, looked good and tasted good. I've been using it and it is about half gone now.


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## Andy M. (May 15, 2014)

Stock Pot said:


> I recently opened up a bottle of Chinese vinegar I found in the basement that had been sitting (unopened) on the shelf for 12 years. It was fine. Still smelled good, looked good and tasted good. I've been using it and it is about half gone now.



It's vinegar.  It was already spoiled when they bottled it.


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 17, 2014)

Addie said:


> I am always looking for "Manager's Special" in the meat section. It is usually a piece of meat that should have been sold the day before or that day. That piece goes right into the freezer as soon as I get home from the grocery store. It is still a good piece of meat, and has been trimmed as a rule. It can be as much as $3.00 a pound less than other like pieces in the meat department. I have never had a problem with any that I have bought.



Me too. In fact the Manager's Special is always the first place I stop in the meat section.

First of all, I ignore anything that has been prepared or ground in any way. (Shish-ka-bobs, ground meat.) And fish? No thanks!!!

A friend is really into barbecuing and grilling and he told me he takes steaks and intentionally leaves them in his fridge for at least a week after the sell by date before cooking them. He said the flavor was much improved.

I tried it. He was right. It might a slight off smell but very little, and it tasted better than one of those steaks put out first day.

I guess the USDA just has overly stringent regulations for how long beef steaks can be kept for sale at a supermarket. The regulations are totally out of line in my opinion.

Whenever I see a "sell by" rib eye in the Manager's Special I snap it up! It becomes dinner in the next few days.


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 17, 2014)

What do you think about bacon in the Manager's Special section?


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## dcSaute (May 17, 2014)

I hesitate to bring this up, somebody always has an argument about it....

the federal government - be it FDA, USDA, NIH, CIA, NSA, the catfish inspectors' office (yes, there is one of those....) - with the exception of baby formula and a minor blivet for shell eggs - do not set any dates for anything food related.  not sell by, not best by, not use by - none of that.

baby formula does have a federally mandated use by date.
shell eggs displaying the USDA shield must be labeled with the pack date and _IF_ and that's an _IF_ the packager _chooses_ to put a sell by or use by date on the carton in may not be 30 days (I think that's the right number....) later than the pack date.  do note that the pack date could be 2-3 years after the egg was laid by the hen, there are no regulations regarding that time interval.

some states have other laws and regulations.  including states which have passed laws specifically holding merchants harmless and defacto 'permitting' stores to sell stuff past its 'date' - whichever form that make take.

so, a supermarket can package up some ground beef, label it "Use by 01 Jan 2110" and leave it out forever without breaking a single "labeling" law.

but, US code does require it be "wholesome" - so selling green moldy gound beef - they'd get caught up on that one.

one can actually look this stuff up.
Food Product Dating


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## Addie (May 17, 2014)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> What do you think about bacon in the Manager's Special section?



No problem for me. It has been smoked and partially cured. So the Manager's Special just tells me it is just getting older with more flavor.


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## cave76 (May 17, 2014)

*And not just foods. Drugs, both prescription and OTC, are often usable after the expiry date.*

From Harvard Health:

"Most of what is known about drug expiration dates comes from a study conducted by the Food and Drug Administration at the request of the military. With a large and expensive stockpile of drugs, the military faced tossing out and replacing its drugs every few years. *What they found from the study is 90% of more than 100 drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, were perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date.*

So the expiration date doesn't really indicate a point at which the medication is no longer effective or has become unsafe to use. Medical authorities state expired drugs are safe to take, even those that expired years ago. A rare exception to this may be *tetracycline, but the report on this is controversial among researchers. *It's true the effectiveness of a drug may decrease over time, but much of the original potency still remains even a decade after the expiration date. *Excluding nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid antibiotics*, most medications are as long-lasting as the ones tested by the military. Placing a medication in a cool place, such as a refrigerator, will help a drug remain potent for many years."

Drug Expiration Dates — Do They Mean Anything?—The Family Health Guide

*Tetracyclines* (and their derivatives) may be one of the other exceptions but there isn't complete agreement about that. I would never use my doxycycline after date of expiration----- just in case. 

I also don't know if keeping a med in the fridge is a good idea---- for all meds. But that may be just my bias. 

Don't take MY advice, please. Check with your pharmacist or doctor. (My doctor was the one who gave me this information.)

There's also some debate about whether this information is only  for unopened bottles----- so *read this article also* and have your PCP advise you on this. If I were a PCP I would probably  advise---- NO-----because s/he wouldn't know if you had left the bottle in your car when the temperature was 100 degrees!! People do some really strange things!

Drug Expiration Dates - Are Expired Drugs Still Safe to Take?


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## cave76 (May 17, 2014)

dcSaute said:


> I hesitate to bring this up, somebody always has an argument about it....



*Oh yeah, ain't THAT the truth! *



> *one can actually look this stuff up.
> *
> Food Product Dating



*Thanks for giving a good source for your information.*


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## Addie (May 17, 2014)

When I see an argument starting, I just no longer reply. It is hard to argue by yourself.


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## cave76 (May 17, 2014)

Addie said:


> When I see an argument starting, I just no longer reply. It is hard to argue by yourself.



Good advice!


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## dcSaute (May 17, 2014)

Addie said:


> When I see an argument starting, I just no longer reply. It is hard to argue by yourself.



with your fishy background, I was wondering why you didn't set straight the record in the clam issue.  

now I know.  you bunches smarter than the average clam (eater).


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## Addie (May 17, 2014)

dcSaute said:


> with your fishy background, I was wondering why you didn't set straight the record in the clam issue.
> 
> now I know.  you bunches smarter than the average clam (eater).



Took my time to see what others had to say first.


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## dcSaute (May 17, 2014)

aaah.

that'd be "True Grit" - no?


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## Greg Who Cooks (May 17, 2014)

Addie said:


> When I see an argument starting, I just no longer reply. It is hard to argue by yourself.



I disagree with you. 

Well one thing for sure, beef steaks one week after sell-by date are fine with me.

One important test: if the product smells bad, don't use it.


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## Addie (May 17, 2014)

dcSaute said:


> aaah.
> 
> that'd be "True Grit" - no?



Sometimes it pays to let other shine.


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