As I mentioned here before, best by / sold by / expiration dates are there because, most likely, the manufacturer maintains a control lot in environmentally controlled spaces. They do this in case something happens in the field and they can isolate whether the problem happened in the factory or after the product has left the factory.

At some point, past the expiration date, it's assumed no product of that lot is out in the wild so there's no liability exposure and they can throw the control lot out to make space.

Pickles? In the fridge??

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Pickles? In the fridge??

Perfectly good Spam has been found in the pyramids and in ancient Mesopotamia. A few decades past the best by date isn't going to hurt anybody. Unless you hit them with the can.

In all seriousness, regardless of best by date, canned food should be checked for a reflection that is not concave, and dents on the rim, or rust anywhere, but particularly the rim, and odor after opening. Acidic tomato products are the worst as the acidity can damage the can lining.

A couple years ago, I opened a can of sardines in tomato sauce. When the can opener punctured the can, tomato sauce squirted across the kitchen. I threw that one out.

I'm generally fairly forgiving of best buy dates, but I use a Sharpie to write a date purchased code on products when shelving, and then try to use the oldest first.

That said, if She Who Must Be Obeyed wants to toss a can of asparagus several years past the best by date, I'm not going to complain. She knows better than to touch my Spam.

Mrs. PHPaul and I have had more than one...uh..."discussion"...over that topic.

Due to her upbringing and the cheap bastard that was her first husband, she hoards food. Never, EVER buys ONE of anything. Fine, I get it.

But then, goes through the 20-odd cans of green beans and throws out 8 of them because they're "expired". Gahhhh.

I have to go down to the pantry and rotate things so the oldest is used first which is only common sense. I've also had to resort to doing a pre-shopping inventory and when I see a dozen cans of something in the cart that we already have a dozen cans of, I put them back. Usually she doesn't realize it until we get home and start putting stuff away.

Usually.

Sigh.

Raise your hand if you grew up before lawyers ruined everything.

Having had our own food distribution biz for nearly thirty years code dates are considered a joke by the direct to store delivery services. The stores require us to remove past code date stuff from the shelves and credit them out. The bartering that goes on at the receiving docks between vendors is a thriving farmers market. We traded our items we had to credit out for other vendors pizzas, breads meats, cheeses, pasta's you name it. Everyone carries a cooler in their truck to keep meats and frozen stuff cold until you get it home.

quote:

Originally posted by 400m:
Raise your hand if you grew up before lawyers ruined everything.

I know a guy that was going to throw out his Himalayan pink rock salt because it was past the date on the container.
I pointed out to him that the salt was likely many millions of years old already and a few more wouldn't have any effect on it.
He was still uncertain if it was safe to eat!

quote:

Originally posted by TSE:
I know a guy that was going to throw out his Himalayan pink rock salt because it was past the date on the container.
I pointed out to him that the salt was likely many millions of years old already and a few more wouldn't have any effect on it.
He was still uncertain if it was safe to eat!

I am speechless.