Sell-by, display-by and use-by dates
Shoppers are often confused by sell-by, display-by and use-by dates. I saw a programme on TV last night that discussed these dates and really put it into perspective. Sell-by and display-by dates are dates used by retailers to ensure that the stock is correctly rotated. It’s only the use-by date that really matters. That’s the date when the goods may start deteriorating. Having said that, many dried products (such as vacuum packed coffee), can last for years past that date. The presenter found, prepared and ate a packet of chowmein that was six years past it’s sell-by date and couldn’t detect any difference to the same product that was within its dates.
Sometimes I’m quite happy to buy short-dated products. You can save a fortune. Nor do I throw out food that is getting near it’s dates. I keep an eye on this in my fridge and simply cook and eat things rather than let them go off.
Check out these links below for more information on product dates:
There’s a great little shop in Whangaparaoa Rd called Surplus Paradise. It’s my mother’s favourite place to shop – absolutely everything is past its use-by date, sometimes up to 1 year over, and so far anything we’ve had has been fine. it’s a complete con the dating system, yet there are times when I have to persuade myself not to take notice of it.
I can remember one time a flatmate of mine came home after a big posh dinner out in London, and heated up a ready-made meal which had that day as its use-by date … she was sick, but pleased not to waste the food! Somehow that sort of sums it all up for me …!
OK, BB I have deleted the comment elsewhere so here goes…
What about that whiskey they found buried down in the ice at the Antartic (sp, still at Uni) which was very old!
Also recently I bought a sports drink (I had forgotten my water from home) it was dated to 2316! I thought that was a bit OTT
Of course, BB your Ma gave me huge unopened bottle of Vegemite a number of years ago because she didn’t want to use it because it was out-of-use-by-date! And as I was on a budget, it would apparently not matter!!! It was perfectly OK right to the end scrap – probably took me a year to consume 🙂
Great blog.
How about posting something on the most effective mortgage products and techniques for managing it to get freehold asap.
I chanced upon this article today and thought I’d post it:
Food Safety Tips for the Budget-Conscious
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/health/04patient.html?_r=1&ref=your-money
Safety experts have advice on ways to germ-proof your food, and still save money.
Yes. Cedar. She tries to give me stuff from time to time that is 20 years past its sell-by date. I politely refuse.
Thanks Richard. I will do that soon for you. Paying down your mortgage fast makes real sense.
Re: the use by date on vegemite – I was told some years ago that there’s a requirement to put a best by or use by date on these goods but some of them won’t go off and Marmite is one of them. I suppose the same could be true for vegemite – they’re practically identical, after all…
Rob – you must have odd tastebuds to think that Marmite and Vegemite are practically identical. 🙂
Well, one is black and salty, the other is dark brown and salty…..
We now have a ‘Reduced To Clear’ shop in Henderson in the Waitakere Plaza. You can see and buy their products on line too at http://www.reducedtoclear.co.nz