Would / do you still eat food that is past its Use By Date?

[rebelmum72]

I was pondering this question this morning as I went through the contents of the fridge and realised that there was a large, unopened jar of cherry jogurt that was now 10 days past its UBD.
We've been away, otherwise I'd have noticed sooner that it needed to be eaten.

I hate throwing food away, and probably wouldn't have thought twice about eating it if it were only a day or so, but 10 days? I'm scared to open it in case something leaps out and bites me

So, do you or don't you? Or does it depend on what food it is? I would happily eat cheese that was past its UBD, as long it didn't actually have mold growing off it

I'm very nervous of food past its date and never risk it.
Dh always tells me I'm being daft though and insists on eating things to prove me wrong.
He's not dead from it yet but I still wont budge

Yes it does depend what, and how long past, and I would be much less likely to inflict it on someone else.

Yes regularly! Depends what it is though... Wouldn't eat chicken or cold meats that had gone past their date. Well maybe if it was just ONE day.

Re the yogurt - I reckon it will be fine. You will know if it's not right by it's smell/taste.

I wouldn't eat that. I let things slide for a day or two, or more if it's something with a long date in the first place (mustard, vinegar, sauces).

I agree you can usually tell by smelling it. However as a general rule: fish - never, chicken/ meat/ dairy - 1 day probably ok (again check smell), flour and 'dry' things - have used month out of date with no problems.

I do with milk as you know when its gone off by the smell and the lumps!! I am the same with fruit/veg as you can see when something has gone bad. I would be wary with meats though.

I wouldn't eat yoghurt, juice or milk past their sell by but will happily eat dry goods/meat/fish/cheese if it looks/smells okay.

With cheese I just hack the mould off...

Often. Though iffy with yogurts over 5 days out of date.
Fruit and veg, eggs, milk, bread - all the time

I'm always wary of anything past it's "Use by" date - the smell with dairy will tell you if it's off but meat may not, specially while it's still cold. But "Best before" dates are only a suggestion - they may not be quite at their peak condition but won't be harmful until long past the date - so they might be a bit stale or soggy but not bad for you.

I suspect yoghurt 10 days over will have separated and be stinky!

Oh, and with mushrooms I find they are ok long after their sell by date. I reason that they are fungus to begin with anyway. Am not sure that this is a sound basis but am still here to tell the tale.

Taste it, you can tell if dairy products are off and one mouthful isn't going to hurt you.

I would eat most things if they looked/smelled ok, except for meat, fish and poultry.

Message withdrawn

Oh, the dates on fruit and veg are just there for ... well, I'm not sure what. I ignore those - fruit and veg, you can tell if they're safe just by looking.

If the top hasn't blown and it doesn't smell iffy when you open it then try it. If it's sour then it's gone off but otherwise I'd eat it.

I'm cautious with fish and meat as you can tell when they're past their best by the smell, but otherwise just use common sense and instinct. I've used potatoes that have winked at me before I cut the eyes off , and as for slightly squidgey peppers, carrots and tomatoes - stick them in a pan with a bit of vegetable stock and make a soup (though there is a difference between slightly squidgy and positively hairy and needing a shave to identify it!)

Anything except meat and fish, or if the packet is 'blown up' and puffy which indicates bacteria inside.

Generally I smell it, or give it to DP to taste.

Ohforfoxsake - "Generally I smell it, or give it to DP to taste" -

Yes, but does depend what type of food, how long past, and what it smells like

But we appear to have cast iron guts in our house

I've just eaten a yoghurt dated 22nd Dec and it was fine, if the top hasn't popped it should be ok.

20 days for yoghurt, not sure about that. 5 days, probably.

I always go a little over the use by date. They are designed for people who go over, and as such they are not exact. IE, if you eat it the next day you are unlikely to die.

I tend to be more fussy with cooked meat, less fussy with veg/cheese. I always eat cheese WAY over its use by date. And if if has a little mould on it, I cut it off, as long as it is not solid .

If it is say sausages 3 days over, I will use them for DH (he is happy with this!) but not for DD (just in case, DH can chose, she cant, and I dont eat sausages anyway), just make sure it is cooked well.

No not eat out of date fish, as it has to be very very fresh.

sorry I know you said 10, for some reason my finger typed 20

Vegetables are susceptible to listeria or something I am sure, which is why they should always be washed - not sure if using them after there sell by date may also increase chances of this - but I think they may be worse than some meats which can actually survive aging better.

And I once ate a sponge pudding and custard thing one day over date and I got food poisoning - I think it must have contained eggs - never a good thing to eat over the used by date.

Fruit and veg I will eat past the use by date as you can always tell if it is off or not, I don't understand why fruit and veg have a use by date TBH.
Dairy, usually tell by the smell or taste, but if all smells okay I will use it for me, but not not for DD just incase.
Cold meats and fish, no I never use past sell by date. DH does though but he has a cast iron gut. I don't.

Once went to a lecture by the head of marketing at Danone who said that the yoghurts were more nutritious after the sell by date (more friendly bacteria) and fine to eat about 2 weeks after sell by date.

God yes. The "best before" date is just that, not a date at which the product will become poisonous. Some things are just common sense, like not keeping cook-chill for too long, and meat generally is a little dicey, but frankly if it smells bad, don't eat it. Yoghurt to my mind only gets better (assuming no-one has been dipping licked spoons in it...). Bread goes mouldy when it's off. Ridiculous to throw away fruit and veg just because it's reached it's "use by" date.