Use by dates on food

[CornishGem1975]

I always thought 'Use by' dates on food meant do not eat because it will make you ill and 'best before' was 'this is fine but you know, might not be as good as it once was..."

But I am noticing more foods with 'use by' dates now. There is a pesto pasta salad languishing in my fridge, totally sealed, unopened but two days past its use by date. Same with a pack of beetroot, which is quite literally pickled so can't see what the problem is there.

AIBU to serve and eat this pasta salad with my DC tonight? Food Standards Agency say I shouldn't eat it...

I think they have been phasing out best before dates

I'd eat it, but then I've never been fussy with use by dates. I also haven't been ill (yet) by eating food past it's use by. Obviously I wouldn't use stuff that was stinking or mouldy.

I love pesto so would definitely eat it,right away!

I wouldn't but if you have the constitution of a ox then go for it. I'd be taking up residence in the bathroom for the next few days and I hate diarrhoea and vomiting more than anything. My boss eats things weeks past they've use by date and never has so much as a belly ache.

@AlternativelyWired

I wouldn't but if you have the constitution of a ox then go for it. I'd be taking up residence in the bathroom for the next few days and I hate diarrhoea and vomiting more than anything. My boss eats things weeks past they've use by date and never has so much as a belly ache.

I currently have COVID and have just spent 48 hours pooping constantly but generally, I have a really strong stomach.

I only really stick to ‘use by’ dates for food that has the potential to make me ill: chicken, seafood, fish etc.

Anything else, including dairy, I use as long as it looks and smells fine.

I use stuff past use by. I sniff stuff. It’s stored properly, my fridges cold. I generally have a strong constitution. I wouldn’t chance it with duct things like chicken or prawns.

I just go by the sniff test.

Most food is absolutely fine past the arbitrary date set by the manufacturers.

Just look at it and smell it , if it’s ok use it - the only time I look at dates is when I’m actually shopping

Sniff test.
If it looks fine and smells fine then I’ll eat it.

As previous poster said, “best before” is being phased out as it was contributing to unnecessary food waste as too many people didn’t realise that it’s only advisory and food isn’t harmful after that date. Wet goods though still need a recommended date as they can develop moulds - but it’s really up to the consumer to use their own judgement and a two-day past pasta salad should be fine.

I've eaten out of bins (shop ones not people's) never been ill, eyes and nose are pretty reliable.

I keep to use by dates with chicken and fish but other things I’m pretty casual about and definitely with fruit and vegetables

I'll have some stuff past it's date but will not give it to the kids.

Best before just means best before - it will still be ok to eat - sometimes up to years later!

Use by means that if you eat it after the use-by date it might make you ill. However, I think food manufacturers give themselves a lot of leeway and routinely eat chicken which is a day or two over its use by date (two days max though). Dairy products are usually fine up to a week over - milk soon smells if it's off and tastes yucky, so it gets thrown away earlier if so. Yogurt can easily be a week over and be fine.

We rarely waste food.

Sniff & taste tester here, too.
I wouldn't consume something before BBF/Use by date if it smelled off.

I pay attention to the dates only to prioritise what to eat next.

This is a bit of an over-simplification, but in essence, food poisoning bacteria need one or more of the following to multiply:
Food
Moisture
Ideal temperature
Time

For foods that are deemed 'high risk' (e.g. those containing protein, moisture, and those that are likely to already contain base levels of bacteria), food hygiene standards work to reduce those elements. That's where use-by dates come in - they're applied to foods deemed to be at higher risk of containing high levels of food poisoning bacteria, so applying a use-by date reduces the time available for bacteria to multiply.
Your pasta salad is likely to contain a protein rich element such as cheese, which is why it has a use-by date. If you want to use your own judgement, think about the proportion of high risk food within the salad, and the conditions it's been kept in (e.g. what temperature and whether it's been sealed, or in contact with other high risk foods).

'Best before' relates to food quality.

'Use by' relates to safety and is applied to things that deteriorate quickly (including ready to eat salads - which is why it's on your beetroot).

Believe it or not, this sort of thing is highly regulated.

@BrightYellowDaffodil

I only really stick to ‘use by’ dates for food that has the potential to make me ill: chicken, seafood, fish etc.

Anything else, including dairy, I use as long as it looks and smells fine.

This is our policy too.

I'd eat it 🤷‍♀️

I've noticed recently that sometimes meat goes off even before the use by dates so I've decided to totally ignore them now and just go by look and smell. I end up freezing a lot of meat anyways so the use by date doesn't really make sense when it's been in the freezer for a month.

I would be upset if my cook made me a meal out of food that was past its use by date, just because I don't want to take that risk.

Be careful with out of date pesto, that's all I'm going to say!

I would only pay attention to meat or fish, everything else by smell or appearance, or taste a little bit. It doesn't suddenly turn off overnight!