California bans sell-by dates • Hacker News Board

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#61

Post by bombcar » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:43 PM UTC

elzbardico wrote: post #13

In Brazil products are marked with two dates: - Manufactured/Packaged by. - Valid until. The valid until is related to food safety and is regulated by the federal sanitary authority for each product by a federal standard. The "freshest by" is something that consumers have to infer by themselves probably as a midpoint between those two dates.

Packaged/Manufactured date is the way to go; you can then even have "valid until" be implicit on most goods (that don't expire) and only physically labelled on things that go bad, like raw meat or vegetables.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#62

Post by ghaff » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:43 PM UTC

LeFantome wrote: post #11

This all makes massive sense to me. The people in my life treat any date on food as an expiry date and throw out massive amounts of perfectly edible food. Also, people do not seem to have any concept about the rate at which different food products spoil. Some things can be used way past the dates I see. Others really are going off by then.

I will throw out old dried herbs in particular and store replacement stock in the freezer. Also will replace spices when they get old and you can’t smell them any longer. Most shelf stable food is still good for a decent time past its use by date. Though not forever.

But, yes, I have relatives who will consider use by a hard deadline.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#63

Post by sdo72 » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:44 PM UTC

I find food in the US contains too much toxin that harms the body. They have a lot of synthetic chemicals and preservatives. Many of which have very bad long term damages to the body. Even with these labels, sometimes it doesn't really tell the whole story about the ingredients. Most of the food that sits on the shelf for weeks shouldn't be consumed.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#64

Post by MrDarcy » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:44 PM UTC

ricardobeat wrote: post #57

nick3443 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sell by is entirely unrelated to quality though. It's just how often they think they can get away with. Like the recommendation on a box of baking soda... Put it in your fridge and change it every 30 days. No thanks.

Pretty sure that’s the recommendation to deodorize your fridge, not related to the baking soda’s shelf life. The other side of the box says “keep in a cool and dark place”. It does seem to go “flat” after a few months regardless, even when the expiry date is 2 years in the future.

There’s a whole controversy over this specific issue. For decades they recommended 90 days in the fridge to keep it fresh.

Then they switched to 30 days recommendation to goose sales.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#65

Post by CoffeeOnWrite » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:44 PM UTC

toomuchtodo wrote: post #24

doublerabbit wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Save's a trip sure, but I'm out of a meal for the day. I make dinner on a day by day basis. What I mean is that I stop at the supermarket on the way home, buy what I need and then make dinner rather than stocking the ingredients. I find this method for me a good way to get out of the work mantra. Knowing I can make dinner and then drink to it with a glass of wine. So to get home, find out that X vegetable has expired…

Hard problem to solve for sure :(

Put samples out

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#66

Post by causal » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:45 PM UTC

SoftTalker wrote: post #58

I don't pay dates much mind. If it looks good, smells good, and tastes good I eat it. We are pretty adept at smelling and tasting spoiled food.

Botulism can be present without any smell or taste

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#67

Post by torgoguys » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:50 PM UTC

> To adhere with the requisite language outlined, any food products with a date label — with the exception of infant formula, eggs, beer, and malt beverages — must state “Best if Used By” to indicate peak quality, and “Use By” to designate food safety.

Infant formula is required federally, so OK. Eggs are an oddly specific one, but I guess I can see it (although I'd wonder why some other products like milk, or meat might not be similarly required). But why beer??? Legit question--I don't drink so maybe it's obvious and I'm just a knucklehead.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#68

Post by mikro2nd » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:56 PM UTC

torgoguys wrote: post #67

> To adhere with the requisite language outlined, any food products with a date label — with the exception of infant formula, eggs, beer, and malt beverages — must state “Best if Used By” to indicate peak quality, and “Use By” to designate food safety. Infant formula is required federally, so OK. Eggs are an oddly specific one, but I guess I can see it (although I'd wonder why some other products like milk, or meat m…

Beer certainly is an odd one! Some (craft) craft beers will age gracefully -- improving, even -- for years. Industrial lagers... not so much.

I scored once with an imported (Belgian) craft beer at the local supermarket, heavily marked down price because the sell-by date was approaching. Some days later, marked down by half again because the date had passed. Needless to say, I bought all I could carry.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#69

Post by bilekas » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:57 PM UTC

torgoguys wrote: post #67

> To adhere with the requisite language outlined, any food products with a date label — with the exception of infant formula, eggs, beer, and malt beverages — must state “Best if Used By” to indicate peak quality, and “Use By” to designate food safety. Infant formula is required federally, so OK. Eggs are an oddly specific one, but I guess I can see it (although I'd wonder why some other products like milk, or meat m…

I'm actually super curious about that too, as far as I know pathogens cant live in beer, so I don't know how it can go bad.

I wonder though if local brewery's or more artigianale brewing processes are different and maybe could be a bit riskier ?

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#70

Post by dotnet00 » Thu, Oct 10, 2024, 2:58 PM UTC

LeFantome wrote: post #11

This all makes massive sense to me. The people in my life treat any date on food as an expiry date and throw out massive amounts of perfectly edible food. Also, people do not seem to have any concept about the rate at which different food products spoil. Some things can be used way past the dates I see. Others really are going off by then.

While it's good to have an understanding of which things the date does and does not matter for, when it comes to judging these things, I prefer to lean towards caution. It isn't worth getting sick over a little food.