AIBU? Use by dates on food.

[FrostyChocolateMilkshake]

I cannot seem to get a clear answer on Google so I wondered what the good people of Mumsnet would do!

Was rummaging in my fridge yesterday evening and found salmon and chicken that had expired on the 28th Jan (yesterday was the 29th in case anyone has lost track of dates )

Both looked fine and the packs haven't been opened and. I hate throwing food away, so I stuck them both in the freezer.

Was this safe to do? I wouldn't usually touch chicken or salmon a day out of date (I normally meal plan throughout the week so all food gets eaten before the use-by date) but I thought if it's only one day and the packs haven't been opened they would be OK.

Anyone else do this? Or should I get the food back out of the freezer and chuck it?

(FWIW I don't have children, if that is relevant)

I would have done the same. Hate food waste and supermarket use by dates usually err on the side of caution. Just make sure it's well cooked when you use it.

I would do this 🤷‍♀️ You can tell if meat is off so just give them a good sniff once defrosted.

I have just done this too with some meatballs.
Hate to throw food out.

Thanks both - I think wastage is a massive issue in this world at the moment so I try to reduce my waste as much as possible.
I'll definitely cook them thoroughly when I do use them.

I would do the same. I regularly eat meat products "out of date" by a day or two.
I think you can tell if its gone off. Just defrost and cook thoroughly x

@grafittiartist

I have just done this too with some meatballs. Hate to throw food out.

Seems wasteful doesn't it throwing unused food out!

If have done the same, I go by smell/look most of the time. If you get meat/fish from the butchers there’s no date on it so you have to use your instincts

I cook meat past it's useby date so long as it looks and smells alright. Never had a problem, so far!

I wouldn't have frozen them, no. You have already pushed the limit so I wouldn't add to that.
I would have opened them and, if they passed the sniff test, cooked asap.

I follow this page on Instagram as I hate food waste... this is their new campaign.... look.... smell... taste.... don’t waste. Loads of brilliant ideas on their page and lots of companies signing v up to this idea.

I've done the same and it's been fine, you'll know when you open it if it's gone off

I do that regularly- my fridge is very good and set to a low temperature though so it keeps things very well.

I ate some haddock yesterday which had a use by date of 24 Jan.

I regularly eat meat and fish this way (because I only shop once a week and the use by dates often only give you a day or two's grace - and I always forget to freeze!)

My point being that these dates can only ever be estimates. Once or twice I've had chicken IN date that was clearly rancid and gone off.

I rely on a good fridge and my own senses, wish more people did the same and there'd be far less waste

I dont think I'd have frozen them immediately. I'd have opened, checked and then either cooked and eaten/frozen or binned.
Will you remember when it comes to defrosting that those were the items you put in the freezer past the date?

I'd expect that to be fine and it's refreshing that everyone's said the same. Usually on here people would throw them away without a second thought.

I get freaked out by meat/fish so I wouldn't have. Anything else I just go by how it looks/smells.

I don't think that matters too much one way or another - when it comes to defrost them, she should smell and inspect them just as she would if they had been frozen in date. The dates are just an estimate - I've had stuff go off in date, stuff that has been frozen in date and then been rank when defrosted, and stuff that is wildly out of date that is just fine.

I find the dates really unhelpful actually, necessary for stock rotation in a shop I guess but at home they just contribute to food waste by people being scared into following dates rather than their eyes and noses. On average every kg of food has contributed 4.5kg of carbon emissions during production and transport so it's got a huge negative multiplier effect when food is wasted.

Use by really does mean use by. You are not supposed to eat it after the date even if it does look and smell fine, it could be harbour anything. I'm autistic though and struggle even with breaking 'best before', whereas I know a lot of people ignore dates altogether.

I'd have checked them, first, avoiding the nasty surprise of the packet that you'd defrosted blowing up like a balloon and releasing a cloud of stink when you open it.

My DP ate some lamb that was in date. Only when he cooked it and tasted it did he find out it was clearly off.

On the other hand we have both eaten meat that is a day or two out of date that is clearly fine.

We also ignore dates on all fresh fruit, veg and bakery products. You can tell by looking at it whether it off or not.

One of the issues is that in the last 30 or so years food date labelling has got so strict people have stopped using their senses to check whether products are OK to eat.

@thistimelastweek

I wouldn't have frozen them, no. You have already pushed the limit so I wouldn't add to that. I would have opened them and, if they passed the sniff test, cooked asap.

This

One of the issues is that in the last 30 or so years food date labelling has got so strict people have stopped using their senses to check whether products are OK to eat.

Isn't it more a case of the food safety agencies pushing us to stop using our senses because sometimes even if it looks, smells and even tastes ok, sometimes it's not ok? I thought this was why labels were introduced in the first place.

Isn't it more a case of the food safety agencies pushing us to stop using our senses because sometimes even if it looks, smells and even tastes ok, sometimes it's not ok

I disagree. I eat food that is 'out of date' several times a week on average and it is probably 30 years since I've had food poisoning and that was almost certainly due to an in date 'rules followed to the letter' prawn sandwich from the work canteen.

I often use food just beyond its sell by date, but I would have immediately cooked the salmon and chicken to use today in some way. The freezing process is slow and deterioration will still be occurring whilst it freezes. Defrosting time adds to this. I always imagine that thorough cooking stops it in its tracks and kills bacteria.

@smoothchange

Use by really does mean use by. You are not supposed to eat it after the date even if it does look and smell fine, it could be harbour anything. I'm autistic though and struggle even with breaking 'best before', whereas I know a lot of people ignore dates altogether.

So by that logic why does food sometimes go off before the use by date? If the labels are so accurate and able to predict when a specific piece of meat or fish has gone off?

My friend 'follows the rules' and chucks perfectly good food away every week. So wasteful.