Mumsnet users talk Best before and Use by Dates with Sainsbury’s

[EllieMumsnet]

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The team at Sainsbury’s would love to hear your thoughts on Best before and Use by dates for food and drinks. Do you know the difference between Best before and Use by dates? And which dates, if any, are you most likely to ignore? What foods are you most likely to bin if they’ve gone beyond their Best before date? And, more importantly, how do you use up food that’s gone beyond its Best before date – please share with us your tips! What food storage ‘rules’ do you tend to follow? And finally, how do you ensure you don’t have to throw away food?

Sainsbury’s says “We know there’s often lots of confusion around Best before and Use by dates, as well as how food should be stored properly to avoid it going to waste. So we want to hear your tips and tricks to avoid food going in the bin unnecessarily.”

Add your comment, tips and views to this thread and you will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £300 Sainsbury’s voucher.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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I usually freeze meat and fish unless I know I am going to use it within 2 days of buying. However, my freezer has been broken for a while so I have had to meal plan to avoid waste.

I largely ignore best before and use the look and sniff test - if it looks okay and smells okay I'll still use it, even meat and fish. I've yet to poison myself or my children so it seems to be an effective method. I've even been known to cut off mould and cook things before - only on veg and bread though and only for myself...don't judge me .

Despite being incredibly careful DS ended up with campylobacter as a three year old. It was heartbreaking to see him struggling with it for two weeks and with an easily upset stomach for months after. As a result I would never go beyond a use by date and ideally start using things like meat as soon as possible.

I know the difference but if I’m honest, either date on them I tend to throw away after

Apart from cheese, that I scrape any mound off and eat

Should really start relying on the sniff test though, I know I’m eating a lot of food mindlessly following dates

I don’t take much notice of best before dates, unless I’m buying something like stock cubes for the store cupboard.

Use by, depends on the item. I’m far more cautious with chicken and fish but largely go by the smell.

Best before I tend to ignore as i’ve always believed it was aimed at the shops. However I would be unlikely to budge on a use by for meat/fish. Although interestingly stuff from local butcher never has a use by and i’m always confident of using it and clear when it would be off. For veg I would only throw out if mouldy etc. If they’re a bit past there best, i’d use them in soups.

Oops, posted instead of previewing.

To avoid wasting milk I make pancakes for the children and freeze them. Meat/fish etc I cook and freeze in various ways. Chicken cut into strips/chunks and roasted/sautéed with spices depending what I fancy preparing for the next week. Veg can be added so I have either a stir fry/curry/ casserole/fajitas/ pasta/ risotto.

Tonight I’ve used left over beef with veg, rice and a tin of tomatoes added. Could easily do that with beef close to it’s date rather than leftovers.

Cheese goes into omelettes/ jacket spuds.

I generally ignore best before dates. Use by dates I will look at - meat gets frozen on use by date (red meat I might go a day or two over but not chicken). Milk I always give a sniff to if it's nearing the use by date. Eggs I will keep for weeks and test in water to see if they float. I have been known to open a tub of natural yoghurt well past its date and if it smells fine and tastes fine I will use it for myself - might hesitate to give it to the kids, if I get ill it's on my own head. Having said that, I have never been ill from eating out of date food.

So mostly I use my common sense and don't throw anything away unless I really have to.

Don't pay much attention to bb dates. Do look at ub dates especially for meats. Otherwise go by look & smell..

I look at use by dates and the item - if it looks ok, smells ok and I know it’s been stored appropriately then I’ll generally trust my judgement if it’s padt the date. If there’s any doubt then I’ll respect the date information and get rid of it.
I’m more cautious with chicken and fish then other meat or eggs.

with regards to things like yogurts which you cant see or reseal i always throw away if they go past their use by/sell by.

things like fruit and veg - we play it by sight and smell lol

i guess if it looks ok and smells ok then it should be ok to eat

Very timely survey as I’ve just discovered a pack of Sainsbury’s Basics hard Italian cheese in the fridge with no use by date on it at all! It’s gong back tomorrow ...

Like others, I tend to adhere to Use By dates but an flexible about “best before”. However be found that fresh cream is often fine a couple of days over, but milk definitely

... isn’t!

Chicken, prawns or salmon I would never go past the use by date. Other meat I might pass the date by a day.
Other fresh food like yogurt, ham, dips, milk I would try it up to a week past use by date provided unopened and smelt fine.
Biscuits, cereal etc I'd see if they tasted ok months after best before and mostly they're fine.
Once a packet is open I'm quick to bin it if out of date as goes off quick once open.
I do end up binning more than I should, probably mostly due to lack of organisation.
We have two rabbits - they get most of the veg that's past its best.

I’m a yellow sticker shopper through a need to save money.
I will eat most things beyond their sell by/best before dates by using my judgement. Look and smell are more important than dates.
Having said that, if it’s meat or poultry, I generally freeze it if I can’t use it immediately. As I do with bread. We mostly eat toast so it comes straight out of the freezer into the toaster.
Fruit and veg last for aaagees after the best before dates.
I make soups or pasta sauces. Chilli or bolognese type things.
Or I roast various veggies together and portion up for freezing. Using them in omelettes, salads or with couscous.

I’m a bit more careful with stuff for the dc but they eat some of it. Like fruit, veg and bread.

I ignore on fruit and veg and go on looks and smell
I don’t go beyond on meat except bacon which a day or so after is fine
I have not eaten some meat despite being in use by date as have had it in my fridge and it has discoloured (mince)
I prefer to buy meat every other day so it’s not hanging around in my fridge where temperature may vary

I never use meat past use by date if I haven't eaten or frozen it it goes in bin.
Fruit and veg go by how it looks not bothered about dates
Milk and dairy if it's only a day or so out il use if it smells ok
Eggs I use out of date if the pass the float test
Ignore best before dates as to me mean they will be better befor that date but fine after. Will happily use dry stuff months after BB date if looks and smells fine e.g. Pasta, chocolate, biscuits,rice crisps

I pay attention to use by dates but not best before. Although I could probably stand to be less rigid on the use by dates and use my own judgement by smell/if it looks ok.

Use by date - I'll usually go 1-2 days over this with fresh food if it looks/smells ok. Dried/canned goods I'd give longer, again if they appear to be ok on checking. The exception to this is meat/fish, which I would freeze on the use by date or as soon as I realise we won't use it by that time.

Best before I pretty much ignore if everything looks/smells ok again.

We meal plan our dinners every week however, so I tend to know when I need to buy stuff (e.g in the weekly online shop, or later locally if it's planned for the end of the week).

Best before, I generally look to see "which tin of beans should I use first", but would happily use the item if it looks and smells fine months past the date. So typically used for "stock control"

Use by - general indication. Use my nose, eyes to see. If sonething us off, but item is in date, i wont use it. If it is out of date, I will use of smells/looks/tastes fine. Eggs and yoghurt I find last much longer than the dates.

I pay no attention at all to best before dates.
I freeze practically everything and get the meat out the freezer the night before. A used by date is something I also pay little attention to as I would rather use my eyes nose and taste to determine if something is ok to eat. I ate a yoghurt a couple of days ago with a use by date of 27th December and there was nothing wrong with it and I’m fine. I think great consideration should be taken into if we should have use by dates on our food as way too much is wasted because of them when the reality is, there’s nothing wrong with most of it

Meat, fish and milk I will throw out before the best before / use by date if it looks or smells off. I had such a bad case of food poisoning once it’s made me extra cautious.

Eggs will go in a bowl of water so see which sink or float so I can see if they’re still fresh

Cheese gets mould cut off of it if it’s only a bit here and there.

I do try to take best before dates with a pinch of salt. I have some honey in my cupboard that has a BBD of January 2019, but honey never spoils.

I try to freeze food that’s approaching it’s use by date if I can’t use it before the date comes.

Yes, I know the difference between use by and best before. I ignore the best before dates. I don't bin anything based on its best before date - use my eyes and nose to decide. For use by dates, I usually allow a couple of days extra if it's food that I can cook, and a week for yoghurts. I would more be cautious with pre-cooked meats and pre-prepared salads - probably 1 day.
I sometimes use up cooked products eg ham, smoked fish by adding to pasta and heating through thoroughly.

I also tend to use it as a guide, except for chicken. I'm more likely to judge off what something smells/looks like.

That said, when shopping I will always pick the thing with the longest date, even if I know I'll use it well before the date.

Do you know the difference between Best before and Use by dates?

Yes

And which dates, if any, are you most likely to ignore? What foods are you most likely to bin if they’ve gone beyond their Best before date?

I'm pretty cavalier about these dates. I'll freeze meat and fish on the use by date. When veg start to look a bit tired, I'll make soup. Cheese / milk / bread, it's easy to tell by sight and smell what's spoiled.

I generally ignore best before dates - so what if my crisp is slightly less crispy or the pasta is a little drier - it's not going to harm anyone so there's no reason not to use it.

Use by I am also pretty flexible on, being vegetarian helps as we don't have the sorts of things that can be dangerous when old like chicken and pork.

I always look at and smell food and if it is ok I use it.