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California bans sell-by dates

foodandwine.com

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Re: California bans sell-by dates

#171

Post by ranger_danger »

riffraff wrote: post #144
freedomben wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Geez, that is aggravating. Do they really think that a completely unsealed cardboard box with holes in it is keeping out all the germs? Sometimes I think we've really failed ourselves regarding basic biology and education requirements.

in Europe it's forbidden to sell washed eggs, so you're literally buying eggs covered in chicken shit, it's an interesting regulatory divergence.

My understanding is that unwashed eggs preserve a protective layer that inhibits bacterial growth, which is why washed eggs in the US must be refrigerated instead. I think they are both valid methods.

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/09/11/336330502/wh...

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#172

Post by ottumm »

lgleason wrote: post #168

I'm glad I don't live in California. How are you supposed to know if you have milk that will quickly go bad etc.? While some of this can cause waste, many food items do start to go bad after they sit on the shelves too long. That said I'm sure the people behind this would prefer that you don't buy dairy and that you pick the mold off your bread and eat the rest. Thanks, but no thanks.

The beginning of the article should put your mind at ease:

> 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.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#173

Post by rolph »

lgleason wrote: post #168

I'm glad I don't live in California. How are you supposed to know if you have milk that will quickly go bad etc.? While some of this can cause waste, many food items do start to go bad after they sit on the shelves too long. That said I'm sure the people behind this would prefer that you don't buy dairy and that you pick the mold off your bread and eat the rest. Thanks, but no thanks.

date of manufacture, or date of processing is far more practical to the consumer

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#174

Post by nikolay »

Many foods are unregulated. It's strange that milk, for example, doesn't have any requirements for its expiration date. One brand widened their "best buy" date and I noticed their milk was souring 3 days before the "best buy" date. After contacting them several times, I told them that they gave me no option but to escalate this to authorities, they didn't seem concerned a bit, and after doing my research, I found out that they can put anything on the label without repercussions. The manufacturer even recommended the record stupid stuff like using the milk in smoothies and other odor and taste masking means to make it "best." So, even "best buy" for foods that can make you sick is meaningless!

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#175

Post by a13o »

lgleason wrote: post #168

I'm glad I don't live in California. How are you supposed to know if you have milk that will quickly go bad etc.? While some of this can cause waste, many food items do start to go bad after they sit on the shelves too long. That said I'm sure the people behind this would prefer that you don't buy dairy and that you pick the mold off your bread and eat the rest. Thanks, but no thanks.

> How are you supposed to know if you have milk that will quickly go bad etc.?

The milk will say "Best if Used By ".

This information can be found in the fifth sentence in the article.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#176

Post by pentamassiv »

bee_rider wrote: post #154
bigstrat2003 wrote: post #130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife does the same thing, and I've been unable to convince her. Not talking perishable stuff, either - she'll throw out something like a bottle of hot sauce because it is a few months past the "best by" date. No matter how much I try to tell her that these things are shelf stable and will be good for even a year or more after the date, she doesn't believe me. I think that the show Kim's Convenience said it perfect…

Hot Sauce is kind of annoying because it lasts so long after the best by dates. Like it could just be kicking around in then fridge for a couple years and not grow anything on it, but it is probably time to toss it out eventually?

When I was in college, at a house party we were all guessing for how long the oldest item in the fridge had been expired. It was a shared flat for four people, so we bet something like half a year or so. The hot sauce expired more than four years before. I am not sure anyone dared to eat some though.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#177

Post by zargon »

I prefer "packed on" dates. With "best by" dates you have no idea what the actual age of the product is. Either for comparing freshness when buying it or for deciding whether to consume it later.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#178

Post by Alupis »

Waterluvian wrote: post #166
bee_rider wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hot Sauce is kind of annoying because it lasts so long after the best by dates. Like it could just be kicking around in then fridge for a couple years and not grow anything on it, but it is probably time to toss it out eventually?

Many hot sauces are so acidic they’re pretty much a preservative!

Vinegar based hot sauces, and/or hot sauces that are very high in sodium, usually yes, but not always.

Particularly if the sauce includes unstrained organic bits such as garlic or onions, or includes oils - botulism (odorless, tasteless) can be a non-zero risk.

At some point, that crusty $5 bottle of hot sauce you found in the back of the fridge should just get tossed out instead of taking the risk.

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#179

Post by slenk »

zargon wrote: post #177

I prefer "packed on" dates. With "best by" dates you have no idea what the actual age of the product is. Either for comparing freshness when buying it or for deciding whether to consume it later.

Food can sit around before being packed. I don't think packed on is any more useful in 99% of situations

Re: California bans sell-by dates

#180

Post by autoexec »

vel0city wrote: post #71
sdo72 wrote: post #63

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.

> Most of the food that sits on the shelf for weeks shouldn't be consumed. Salt? Flour? Oil? Oats? Rice? Garlic? Black pepper? Most ground spices? Nuts? Beans? Honey? Vinegar? Quinoa? All of these can reasonably sit on a shelf for weeks. I guess none of these are safe to be consumed, all just "toxins".

> Salt? Flour? Oil? Oats? Rice? Garlic? Black pepper? Most ground spices? Nuts? Beans? Honey? Vinegar? Quinoa? All of these can reasonably sit on a shelf for weeks.

They're probably full of things that are bad for you too.

Your salt is full of microplastics (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/micro...). Your oats are full of chlormequat. Your spices are full of heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, and lead), and the same is true for vinegar, nuts, beans, and rice. Most honey sold in stores isn't real honey but comes from China and can be filled with chloramphenicol and other illegal animal antibiotics. Almost all of the extra virgin olive oil sold in US stores is fake and can also be contaminated with phthalates. Around half the garlic sold in the US comes from china and according to some this is Communist Sewage-Garlic, and a threat to national security (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67662779) which can also be covered in chemicals (the common claim is methyl bromide is used although I haven't seen anything to back that up)

The quinoa sitting on your shelf seems the least likely to be toxic or bad for you, but you might want to avoid it for other reasons (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jan/25/quinoa-g...)

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