Ignore "Sell By" Dates...

[gunnerbob]

Ignore the ?sell-by? dates on your groceries - Jennifer Waters's Consumer Confidential - MarketWatch

For those who didn't know...

 

[telpinaro]

I'm surprised it doesn't say that it's for the company's safety as well... they can't get sued as easily if food is bad past the date stamped. With stuff that if it's bad, it's really bad like dairy or chicken I'm more careful, but other stuff if it looks/smells good, I assume it is.

 

[Peggy Reist]

Same here. If it looks good, smells OK, and isn't fuzzy, I consider it edible.

 

[walt629]

Sometimes the "fuzzy" stuff is the best stuff! :sarcastic:

THe original intent was to give a date for when the maximum nutritional value of a product begins to decline. People over the years have completely misconstrued the reason behind it. Gee! Imagine that!

And the "dented" can issue she brings up? I think she meant "bulged" can. I've purchased dented cans that were all dented inward and had no issues. It's the cans that look like a football you need to be concerned about.

 

[GB-Boater]

If cans are dented on the seam I wouldn't take them. Leaky seams may not have fluids on the outside due to the vacuum in the can.
Normally a can should have between 12-15 lbs of vacuum when you open them.
If they expel air they may be spoiled. If the fluids are cloudy they may be spoiled also. They may or may not smell or appear spoiled.