Houmous is five days past its use-by date

[ValerieMorghulis]

AIBU to eat one (small) pot on toast for breakfast and the other in a wrap for lunch?

Really trying hard to minimise food waste but my usual cut-off is three days, for this sort of thing...

No problem with eating out of date houmous, it will be obvious if it has gone off.

I'm not precious about use by dates, but I wouldn't gamble with hummus. See

Most things I would eat past the date (as long as they smelled fine) - but not hummus, too risky OP

Out of date Humous, what is that? I normally eat it all in one sitting the second I unpack it!

Good luck, let us know how it goes.

I appreciate you wanting to reduce food waste, but life is too short for out of date hummus!

I'd eat it if it looks, smells and tastes OK. What sort of hummus is it? Reason I ask is sometimes you buy it in the supermarket and the date is only about 3/4 days after, but sometimes it's got several weeks on it, so there must be something different about the latter type where I'd expect 5 days past to have a better chance of being OK than the shorter life type, where percentage wise, you're way over.

@Northernsoullover

FFS no. Massive risk from humous. Never ever ever eat humous past its use by. *@ornge* that is dangerous advice.

I'm 52. Still alive after eating plenty of houmous past its 'use by' occasionally if it's been a bit fizzy too, though I don't anymore as I'm more wary of anything that might upset my stomach these days (though that never has)

It is one thing I have learnt from MN never to eat when out of date! Before reading about it on here I might have been cavalier about use by date but reading the horror stories has made me very vigilant.

Interested to know why houmous is considered so risky by some people? Why is it different to coleslaw/tzatziki/onion dip etc?

I've eaten out of date houmous all my life. I check carefully for the black hairy mould that houmous gets, and then I taste a tiny bit to make sure it's not fizzy. Am currently eating a tub that expired on 23rd February - it's fine and delicious.

I do regularly eat out of date food, and know the differences between dangerous moulds and less risky ones (one blob of blue mould on bread is not going to kill you) BUT I have worked up to this all my life. If you are mould-phobic and would never touch milk four seconds after midnight on expiry day, I wouldn't recommend diving straight into two month old houmous! Build up tolerances slowly :)

Salmonella and Listeria

I am very flexible with dates but after a good friend of mine was so ill after houmous I'm now wary.

Hers smelt fine too and was a day out.
She thought she was going to die. For a woman who had three natural births to tell you it was the worst, I listened.

Coleslaw is the same.
There is a reason they advise you avoid it when pregnant or they did when I was!

@ineedaholidaynow

It is one thing I have learnt from MN never to eat when out of date! Before reading about it on here I might have been cavalier about use by date but reading the horror stories has made me very vigilant.

But have you ever been ill due you eating out of date food? To me, Mumsnet seems ridiculously conservative on this matter and lots of people seem to be throwing away lots of perfectly good food based on a very pessimistic arbitary date.

It's the same with rice. If you ever mention eating reheated rice, the rice police will pop up with dire warnings about how eating reheated rice will cause the worst food poisoning possible.

Yet I've probably eaten reheated rice at least twice a week for the last 30 year and have never been ill due to it. And that includes Chinese takeaway fried rice, which will have been reheated twice .

In fact, the only time I've had food poisoning in close to 30 years as an adult was a ready made prawn sandwich from the work canteen, which will have been in date and be kept in accordance with all food safety rules.

It's bizarre bit hummus is actually a high risk prepared food and there have been a few recalls in supermarkets over last few years due to salmonella.

I eat out of date food all the time and cut mould off cheese etc but hummus is the one thing I'm careful with.

Bliney I was about to say yes dobt worry at all. Had no idea.

I have Houmous in the fridge, its in date, but been open for more than the suggested 'eat within 2 days of opening ' . An i going to vomit if I eat it?

But have you ever been ill due you eating out of date food? To me, Mumsnet seems ridiculously conservative on this matter and lots of people seem to be throwing away lots of perfectly good food based on a very pessimistic arbitary date.

Not just here. My friend never had to buy fruit for lunch because there was always someone in the office with cherries/strawberries/whatever which went out of date so they wanted to bin it. 😂 She was really baffled by it, but saved fortune.😂

It's the same with rice. If you ever mention eating reheated rice, the rice police will pop up with dire warnings about how eating reheated rice will cause the worst food poisoning possible.
Yup. I met people surprised restaurant rice is reheated... Good catch woth the egg fried rice.

What is it about Hoummus that makes it so dangerous though?

@0gfhty

It's bizarre bit hummus is actually a high risk prepared food and there have been a few recalls in supermarkets over last few years due to salmonella.

The salmonella was in the tahini afaik. They identified it quite quickly.

What was actually super interesting on that was how many people were shocked at how many brands of hummus are made in 1 or 2 factories

@Bluesheep8

What is it about Hoummus that makes it so dangerous though?

Nothing really. It just goes off like other things. Everything off can make you really ill.

What was actually super interesting on that was how many people were shocked at how many brands of hummus are made in 1 or 2 factories

I don't know why people find this so surprising. It's like when there was a flood in a biscuit factory and none of the supermarkets had any biscuits because that factory made a large proportion of all supermarket own brand biscuits as well as one of the big brands and people couldn't understand why it was so widespread a problem.

I thought it was common knowledge that many large factories supplied multiple supermarket own brand ranges as well as main brands.

*Bluesheep8

What is it about Hoummus that makes it so dangerous though?

Nothing really. It just goes off like other things.
Everything off can make you really ill.*

Ah ok, I thought there was something particular to hoummus that was risky. I've eaten out of date hoummus more times than I can count so was just curious.

As a chef I would never eat any protein past its use by date.The way I see it is a day or two off sick from work costs more than a couple of quid saved and some food poisoning can last longer or be fatal.
As kids we ate cheese with mould cut off however the mould penetrates the cheese so I wouldn't do it now.
I am strict with hygiene and food dates and my family were hardly ever sick.
Cue ill family some point this week.🤣

I don't know why it's considered high risk, I assume just because it is pre prepared food. Maybe it's something to do with the water and carbohydrate content. There have been a few recalls over the years not sure if they're all down to tahini. I mean yeah I would probably eat it a day over if my fridge is cold and the trip from the shop was quick

With hummus, it's a USE BY not a best before for a reason.