Saw something I have never seen before in CVS just now

[mnrose]

I don't worry much about those dates, except if it's milk, other dairy (except yogurt...a cultured product that will last a LONG time past the expiration date), and meat. Otherwise, it's a big "eh" for me. In fact, I shop at a local store in our area JUST BECAUSE they sell everything close to or slightly past the expiration date, at a fraction of the price charged by other stores. I buy 12 packs of very expensive, organic greek yogurt (think the ones that are over $2 a small carton in your store) for $2.50 the case. Perfectly good. Perfectly tasty. Yup, I'll save money any way I can. Plus, I love the yogurt, and could never spend $2 for a single small carton.

There is a move underway to provide more clarity about what those "dates" mean. We waste (throw out) over 40% of the food we buy, sometimes for no good reason whatsoever.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I don't worry much about those dates, except if it's milk, other dairy (except yogurt...a cultured product that will last a LONG time past the expiration date), and meat. Otherwise, it's a big "eh" for me. In fact, I shop at a local store in our area JUST BECAUSE they sell everything close to or slightly past the expiration date, at a fraction of the price charged by other stores. I buy 12 packs of very expensive, organic greek yogurt (think the ones that are over $2 a small carton in your store) for $2.50 the case. Perfectly good. Perfectly tasty. Yup, I'll save money any way I can. Plus, I love the yogurt, and could never spend $2 for a single small carton.

There is a move underway to provide more clarity about what those "dates" mean. We waste (throw out) over 40% of the food we buy, sometimes for no good reason whatsoever.

This is so true! It was only a few years ago that the government mandated putting expiration dates on everything. For some stuff, like meat and dairy, it makes sense. For lots of other stuff, it just leads to more food waste. There used to be a store near my sister that sold "expired" food on the cheap--she would shop there all the time and I would stock up when I went to visit. The regulations vary from state to state on this (she lives in CT).

 

[kamik86]

I don't worry much about those dates, except if it's milk, other dairy (except yogurt...a cultured product that will last a LONG time past the expiration date), and meat. Otherwise, it's a big "eh" for me. In fact, I shop at a local store in our area JUST BECAUSE they sell everything close to or slightly past the expiration date, at a fraction of the price charged by other stores. I buy 12 packs of very expensive, organic greek yogurt (think the ones that are over $2 a small carton in your store) for $2.50 the case. Perfectly good. Perfectly tasty. Yup, I'll save money any way I can. Plus, I love the yogurt, and could never spend $2 for a single small carton.

There is a move underway to provide more clarity about what those "dates" mean. We waste (throw out) over 40% of the food we buy, sometimes for no good reason whatsoever.

My DH annoys me about this. He thinks if it has a best buy or expiration date you hvae to throw it away as soon as you hit that date.

I had to convince him that vinegar... you know one of those things they use to preserve stuff... isn't going to go bad that quickly and is perfectly fine

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Other than milk, I really don't pay close attention to dates on food products. I'll drink milk up until 5 or 6 days past its sell by date, but it's usually consumed well before then.

I've eaten bacon about a month after the date on the package. There are 8 oz. blocks of cheese in the fridge with April or May dates that I still intend to use. Salad dressings often are six to nine months out of code. As long as there is no mold or other obvious physical signs of deterioration, I just give things the sniff test. If it still smells good, it is.

 

[North of Mouse]

I don't worry much about those dates, except if it's milk, other dairy (except yogurt...a cultured product that will last a LONG time past the expiration date), and meat. Otherwise, it's a big "eh" for me. In fact, I shop at a local store in our area JUST BECAUSE they sell everything close to or slightly past the expiration date, at a fraction of the price charged by other stores. I buy 12 packs of very expensive, organic greek yogurt (think the ones that are over $2 a small carton in your store) for $2.50 the case. Perfectly good. Perfectly tasty. Yup, I'll save money any way I can. Plus, I love the yogurt, and could never spend $2 for a single small carton.

There is a move underway to provide more clarity about what those "dates" mean. We waste (throw out) over 40% of the food we buy, sometimes for no good reason whatsoever.

Totally agree with you, especially on yogurt dates. It's already spoiled - LOL - by the very fact of 'what' it is!! Not bad for you at all - nor taste/looks affected - when you eat it past the date - same actually goes for cheeses (cottage, cream, hard/soft) that are past their dates.
It will be 'very' obvious if it is spoiled/molded, etc.

Some things (like meats) should be 'eaten' by the date, but some things are to be sold by the date, and in some cases the taste (freshness, not spoiled) may not be quite as good.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I just can't bring myself to do that. If it's past the date on the package, I don't eat it or buy it. I throw it out and buy another. I realize all the arguments as to why these dates don't matter, but something in my brain won't allow me to do it.

 

[mnrose]

I'm reminded of my other score on "nearly expired" food. At my Costco they had big wheels of brie for 97 cents. Yup. 97 cents. I bought 16 of em. And, threw 'em in the freezer. Did you know that frozen Brie comes out of the freezer with the same texture and taste? It does. Besides, Brie is another one of those cheeses that is already cultured (e.g., "spoiled"). Takes a LONG time for it to "spoil" so much that it's bad for you. In fact, some people say the taste is only optimal AFTER the "best buy" date. LOL.

 

[mnrose]

I just can't bring myself to do that. If it's past the date on the package, I don't eat it or buy it. I throw it out and buy another. I realize all the arguments as to why these dates don't matter, but something in my brain won't allow me to do it.

And, I thank you for that. Just means there will always be places like the store I shop at. If people were comfortable eating food at or after the "best by" date, my store would go out of business.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Other than milk, I really don't pay close attention to dates on food products. I'll drink milk up until 5 or 6 days past its sell by date, but it's usually consumed well before then.

I've eaten bacon about a month after the date on the package. There are 8 oz. blocks of cheese in the fridge with April or May dates that I still intend to use. Salad dressings often are six to nine months out of code. As long as there is no mold or other obvious physical signs of deterioration, I just give things the sniff test. If it still smells good, it is.

I"m with you. Doesn't bother me at all to eat things past the sell by date. I generally drink the milk up before I have to worry about it, but as long as it smells okay, I will use it.

 

[CPanther95]

Mayo I'm real skittish about.

 

[LiveYourLife]

Mayo I'm real skittish about.

Mayo (expired or not) makes me skittish! I don't even get me started on the stunt mayo

 

[tvguy]

Mayo I'm real skittish about.

Odds are you'll expire before your mayo will....with all those preservatives.

 

[RedAngie]

Mayo I'm real skittish about.

How would you feel about the Miracle Whip in my fridge dated "best before" November 21, 2015?

 

[Diznygrl]

Edys is made by Dreyers and Dreyers and all ice creams here are wrapped in plastic.

Been buying Dreyers/Edys for as long as I can remember and there has never been a plastic wrap, ever. Just the lid that sticks rather tightly against the ice cream until you pull it off for the first time.

 

[BearFamily]

I have to check dates like a hawk at our local Meijer because product rotation doesn't seem to exist in their environment.

That's so funny to me, because before we moved away from Meijer-land and to Wegman's-land, Meijer was the only one we could always count on to NOT be selling expired meat. Of course, that was years ago...

 

[CPanther95]

How would you feel about the Miracle Whip in my fridge dated "best before" November 21, 2015?

No problem with that.

 

[scdak]

Date checker here, won't buy something out of date, will use some things if they go out of date while I am using them but for milk.........the sell by date is MY expiration date And even sooner than the date if it looks or smells the slightest bit odd! Otherwise, I am pretty open to eating stuff out of date as look as it doesn't look/smell spoiled.

 

[Callie]

I once ended up with four expired medications from CVS, and hey refused to return them.