Serving guests out of date food

[beebeebeeb]

My father in law will buy reduced expiring meat/other fresh produce, and serve it to guests a few days after use by date. Think things like expired pâté, expired salmon from the fish counter, expired desserts with fresh cream, expired chicken. Anything from 2-5 days expired if it makes a difference.

He grew up in Africa, and obviously now has a cast iron stomach! Perhaps should add he is now very rich (buying reduced food must be how he managed it!) He will also leave soft unpasteurized cheeses on the radiator for days before eating them

I have emetophobia and always feel anxious about eating at theirs as I have no idea if I'm going to get ill.

I am of course happy to eat out of date bread, fruit, veg etc if no visible mould on it. But draw the line at expired fresh food!!!

We had a New Years Eve party and FIL bought a load of expired cooked meats and party food nibbles (all expired Christmas day). Obviously people had no idea and ate them hopefully no one got ill, or maybe they thought it was just a hangover!

Would you serve guests food like this (ie. you may eat it yourself at home, but would you serve it to guests)?

I would eat it if it smelt and tasted fine. Maybe be a bit more careful with guests (and I am currently pregnant and so being a bit more careful with myself), so maybe a day or two past rather than 5, but not something I would get particularly wound up about.

Cheese somewhere warm at xmas so it has time to ripen. Some cheeses dont taste their best straight from the fridge (and I have typically grown up in quite cold houses, so would put near a radiator as otherwise may as well be in the fridge!)

I think it’s the serving it to other people where I draw the line. I might - depends on how well I knew someone - say ‘hey, this hummus is a day past it’s use by, do you feel ok with that?’ to a really good friend, but I would never plonk it down without giving them a choice. I’d also never ever risk it with meat or fish.

I have no problem with people eating things past there use by date, and wouldn't judge or tell someone not to do it if they're happy to. It's the serving it to others who may not be comfortable with it that I have a problem with!

@AnnoyingPigeon I am less strict about leftovers- I'll eat them 2 days after if contain meat, 3 days after if veg only. Of course I do know they are likely fine after this time, I just prefer not to take the perceived 'risk'! This doesn't mean I waste food though- I'll freeze leftovers if they won't be eaten in that time.

Re. cheese on radiator- completely agree that it's better after brought more to room temperature. But FIL will STORE IT on a radiator rather than in the fridge...!

My work colleague at chicken 3 weeks past it’s use by date. 🤢🤮 he left it in the work fridge when we were furloughed then 3 weeks later when we were back at work he ate it... it was that ready to eat chicken chunks.

@IrishCream123 I assume he lived to tell the tale?! Somehow people that are that stupid always seem to survive that sort of thing

[quote beebeebeeb]@IrishCream123 I assume he lived to tell the tale?! Somehow people that are that stupid always seem to survive that sort of thing [/quote]
Yep.. clearly got an iron stomach

@Hillarious

In lockdown, we finally ate the puy lentils I'd bought before my daughter was born, and she's 23.

🤣🤣🤣

My husband and I occasionally eat things up to a couple of days past the expiry date. I wouldn't serve out of date food to someone else though.

@beebeebeeb

My father in law will buy reduced expiring meat/other fresh produce, and serve it to guests a few days after use by date. Think things like expired pâté, expired salmon from the fish counter, expired desserts with fresh cream, expired chicken. Anything from 2-5 days expired if it makes a difference.

He grew up in Africa, and obviously now has a cast iron stomach! Perhaps should add he is now very rich (buying reduced food must be how he managed it!) He will also leave soft unpasteurized cheeses on the radiator for days before eating them

I have emetophobia and always feel anxious about eating at theirs as I have no idea if I'm going to get ill.

I am of course happy to eat out of date bread, fruit, veg etc if no visible mould on it. But draw the line at expired fresh food!!!

We had a New Years Eve party and FIL bought a load of expired cooked meats and party food nibbles (all expired Christmas day). Obviously people had no idea and ate them hopefully no one got ill, or maybe they thought it was just a hangover!

Would you serve guests food like this (ie. you may eat it yourself at home, but would you serve it to guests)?

Why does growing up in Africa mean he has a cast iron stomach?

What on earth do people who can't cope with eating food which is perfectly fine, though past expiry date, do if the food doesn't have a date on it??

I do think people can be a bit OTT about use by dates. My sister once threw a complete fit because she was given a cup a tea with milk one day out of date. Did she really think that it turned bad on the stroke of midnight? A bit of common sense goes a long way.

@NorthAndSouthern that's not a generalisation say everyone who is born in Africa has a cast iron stomach I didn't feel his whole life story was relevant, but he grew up in a rural area and had many many infectious stomach bugs, and spent a lot of time eating 'hunting' small critters in the bush and eating them!

@BojoKilledMyMojo I can't think of anything that would go bad but doesn't have an expiry date?

@MashedPotatoBrainz completely agree about common sense- milk is fairly obvious when it goes off!

Surely meats ok if you cook it