Food expiration dates don t mean what you think - Carolyn Beans
video description
It is simply absurd to throw away something that is clearly edible and good for consumption
I basically never check those kind of things, I always found them useless, and I only do check when I suspect something is actually really really old, like those cans that are really far away from you and they expired in 2019, that's my it's definitely not safe to eat signal
Date: 2023-06-06
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Comments and reviews: 14
Scott
What makes this worse is when food is past experations on grocery stores, they can't give it to others who won't care about experation to eat, or to even feed to their chickens. The Stores have to destroy the food, I worked for a grocery store and it was insane the amount of dairy and bread that I destroyed on a daily basis, I would set aside crates of food for myself and the store would sell it to me for 1 the food would last weeks to months past the experation dates. This was huge since I was going to college and had little money but not having to pay for most of my food was helpful. At the same grocery store the butcher would give me meat that was a little off color and couldn't sell it, I held huge BBQs for my friends. I supplied the meat and they brought beer, I never EVer got sick from food then or now since I learned way back then that the experation date of foods is totally bogus.
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What makes this worse is when food is past experations on grocery stores, they can't give it to others who won't care about experation to eat, or to even feed to their chickens. The Stores have to destroy the food, I worked for a grocery store and it was insane the amount of dairy and bread that I destroyed on a daily basis, I would set aside crates of food for myself and the store would sell it to me for 1 the food would last weeks to months past the experation dates. This was huge since I was going to college and had little money but not having to pay for most of my food was helpful. At the same grocery store the butcher would give me meat that was a little off color and couldn't sell it, I held huge BBQs for my friends. I supplied the meat and they brought beer, I never EVer got sick from food then or now since I learned way back then that the experation date of foods is totally bogus.
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Martinspire
Well, if only 37% is wasted by millions of households, I'd say we should focus on the other big wasters because that isn't all that much if you consider the amount of households.
Sure tinned food can be used for long but I doubt many people are throwing away many cans of food. And the majority of food that is wasted, will be leftovers, parts that can't really be eaten and the rest is really past its date. Should we be more cautious about due dates? Sure, but there's more to attack to prevent waste then general consumers. Its like turning the lights off when a factory burns through energy like its nothing.
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Well, if only 37% is wasted by millions of households, I'd say we should focus on the other big wasters because that isn't all that much if you consider the amount of households.
Sure tinned food can be used for long but I doubt many people are throwing away many cans of food. And the majority of food that is wasted, will be leftovers, parts that can't really be eaten and the rest is really past its date. Should we be more cautious about due dates? Sure, but there's more to attack to prevent waste then general consumers. Its like turning the lights off when a factory burns through energy like its nothing.
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Kid
Isn't there a specific rule about certain products must use Expiration Date and and others allowed to label Use By?
I recall there are certain food items or medications that MUST be labelled EXP Date because going past that date may have serious health risks to the consumers.
I know in many countries in Asia, Expiration Date is still the prevailing way manufacturers label their products. Though food wastage is not a big issue here compared to western countries because our culture frowns at the idea of wasting food.
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Isn't there a specific rule about certain products must use Expiration Date and and others allowed to label Use By?
I recall there are certain food items or medications that MUST be labelled EXP Date because going past that date may have serious health risks to the consumers.
I know in many countries in Asia, Expiration Date is still the prevailing way manufacturers label their products. Though food wastage is not a big issue here compared to western countries because our culture frowns at the idea of wasting food.
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Jannette
In The Netherlands we have two possible dates on products.
It s TGT means consume before the given date. It s not safe to consume the product after that date.
Or it s THT means quality guaranteed until that date. After that date smell and taste. If both is ok, it s still good for consumption. This include milk and milk products.
With eggs you do the float test: put them in water, when they don t sink they are not good anymore. They don t have to sink completely, halfway is also ok.
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In The Netherlands we have two possible dates on products.
It s TGT means consume before the given date. It s not safe to consume the product after that date.
Or it s THT means quality guaranteed until that date. After that date smell and taste. If both is ok, it s still good for consumption. This include milk and milk products.
With eggs you do the float test: put them in water, when they don t sink they are not good anymore. They don t have to sink completely, halfway is also ok.
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R zgar
I don't know about other countries' regulations, but here in Turkey, most of the stuff has conveniently 1 year of shelf life, seems arbitrary to me. But I can tell the difference without checking the expiration date, if, say, a chocolate was produced recently or months ago. The taste changes noticeably even if a food is still safe to eat when it's old. I think the best thing to do is shopping more frequently instead of buying stuff in huge quantities.
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I don't know about other countries' regulations, but here in Turkey, most of the stuff has conveniently 1 year of shelf life, seems arbitrary to me. But I can tell the difference without checking the expiration date, if, say, a chocolate was produced recently or months ago. The taste changes noticeably even if a food is still safe to eat when it's old. I think the best thing to do is shopping more frequently instead of buying stuff in huge quantities.
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Kadri
i dont even look dates on products without humidity. i am consumin a whey protein with 2/2020 last concuming date, and everything ok. But in contrast, i am very afraid of souces and dressings. i throw them in a month after opening. Btw we dont use best before sytem, we using last use date and shops must discard their items if they cant sell them before that date.
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i dont even look dates on products without humidity. i am consumin a whey protein with 2/2020 last concuming date, and everything ok. But in contrast, i am very afraid of souces and dressings. i throw them in a month after opening. Btw we dont use best before sytem, we using last use date and shops must discard their items if they cant sell them before that date.
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al
2: 34 you should specify that you are talking about washed eggs.
Eggs that are not washed(ie. EU) have a completely different storage method and shelf life since the naturally protective coating, which is good enough to keep the egg safe under a chicken for days is still present.
Only washed eggs require refrigeration. The EU bans eggs from US as unsanitary.
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2: 34 you should specify that you are talking about washed eggs.
Eggs that are not washed(ie. EU) have a completely different storage method and shelf life since the naturally protective coating, which is good enough to keep the egg safe under a chicken for days is still present.
Only washed eggs require refrigeration. The EU bans eggs from US as unsanitary.
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Kuroyuki
In Germany we use mindestens haltbar bis, which means that the food should not spoil before said day if stored properly. Of course sometimes your still unlucky, especially with meats, but it works pretty well. Most stores even give a 30% discount when you buy a food item that is very close to the MHD(Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum)
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In Germany we use mindestens haltbar bis, which means that the food should not spoil before said day if stored properly. Of course sometimes your still unlucky, especially with meats, but it works pretty well. Most stores even give a 30% discount when you buy a food item that is very close to the MHD(Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum)
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education
TED-ED, you need to focus this attention on the large corporations, and the government, to regulate them. This is where the vast, vast majority of contribution to climate change comes from, not individual consumers. Shifting the blame to individual consumers is a tactic to divert blame from companies.
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TED-ED, you need to focus this attention on the large corporations, and the government, to regulate them. This is where the vast, vast majority of contribution to climate change comes from, not individual consumers. Shifting the blame to individual consumers is a tactic to divert blame from companies.
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unpalette
Would certainly help if we had some kind of universal healthcare. Otherwise, I probably won t be taking my chances eating anything past its expiry date. It sucks to waste food, but what sucks even more is getting a (sometimes fatal) foodborne illness from a 3 food item and paying xxxx for your care.
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Would certainly help if we had some kind of universal healthcare. Otherwise, I probably won t be taking my chances eating anything past its expiry date. It sucks to waste food, but what sucks even more is getting a (sometimes fatal) foodborne illness from a 3 food item and paying xxxx for your care.
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XPNDBLhero
I'm constantly bickering w/ the Mrs about this and she thinks that food is instantly bad if it's on or after the Best by Date and I'm sitting there eating food weeks after the date and she freaks out. I've tried to explain how they work but she just doesn't want to deal w/ it. LoL
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I'm constantly bickering w/ the Mrs about this and she thinks that food is instantly bad if it's on or after the Best by Date and I'm sitting there eating food weeks after the date and she freaks out. I've tried to explain how they work but she just doesn't want to deal w/ it. LoL
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Roofuscat
You guys are such liars. 37% of food waste does NOT come from households. Don't believe me? Check the dumpster behind grocery stores. Then research manufacturing facilities. Then check Gov subsidies paying farmers to cull heards and plow over harvestable fields. Ffs. Stop lying.
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You guys are such liars. 37% of food waste does NOT come from households. Don't believe me? Check the dumpster behind grocery stores. Then research manufacturing facilities. Then check Gov subsidies paying farmers to cull heards and plow over harvestable fields. Ffs. Stop lying.
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Chris
I grew up before the lawsuits that caused 'use by' best by type dates, so was taught throughout childhood to assess edibility by the food, not the date.
We need more education on this topic so was very glad to see this video today! Thank you for posting this.
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I grew up before the lawsuits that caused 'use by' best by type dates, so was taught throughout childhood to assess edibility by the food, not the date.
We need more education on this topic so was very glad to see this video today! Thank you for posting this.
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Fercho
Yes, this problem is huge. I am a Mexican student doing a PhD in France and I can tell that everyday at the lab cafeteria a lot of people waste food, this is really shocking to me. I came from a country and culture where you just don't waste food, it is a sin.
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Yes, this problem is huge. I am a Mexican student doing a PhD in France and I can tell that everyday at the lab cafeteria a lot of people waste food, this is really shocking to me. I came from a country and culture where you just don't waste food, it is a sin.
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