Conspiracy theory #2: best before and use by dates!

I never go by the date on a package or bottle. Like Milk say use by a certain date. However if it still smells good I will still use it. There are alot of items you can still use it after the expiration date. I would still use something if its a month or two older depending on the product. If its 8 months to a year then I would probably throw it away if it didn't smell or taste good. I would never just look at a date and say "oh can't use this anymore I have to throw it away." That is a waste of food and money.

It is not a conspiracy by the super markets, or the product companies. It is simply another example of government thinking it knows best. I worked at a company that made circuit boards. One of the supplies we used was a paste that was basically glue. You put a dot on the board, put a part over the dot, ran it through the oven, and the part was glued to the board. The stuff was like any other type of heat cured paste. It lasted forever. We used it so infrequently, one tube could last an entire year. Nevertheless, it had an expiration date of 2 months, and because we have to pass ISO audits, the paste had to be tossed out when it expired. Thus, thanks to government, we had to pass that added expense on to our customers. Then we wonder why foreign companies can make stuff cheaper.

Best buy dates are the dates that guarantee the most freshness and optimum quality for that product. Most food companies have labs that do extensive research to determine these dates. I'm sure the use by dates became necessary when someone ate or drank that substance and then got sick. Even if the person had the flu or just wasn't feeling well, with the encouragement and assistance of an "ambulance chasing" lawyer, could be awarded a large settlement. Over the years, I've found that most people do not want to be responsible for their own actions and want to blame it on something or someone that can compensate for their stupidity. Case in point, the woman that put the hot coffee between her legs as she pulled out of the drive-through at McDonalds and then sued and won compensation because the hot coffee burned her. Rewarding stupidity has caused companies to be over cautious and often ridiculous in their labeling. You can use these dates on products as a guideline, but ultimately you are responsible for what you eat and drink. I don't think that it's a conspiracy by the food manufacturers to get you to buy new products and throw away old ones, but rather protection from the "sue happy". Unfortunately people that are genuinely wronged have a more difficult time being compensated than the "con artists".

oh i'm sure some of it has to do with wanting us to spend more quicker-one big reason you don't often see anything made of quality any more. if they make it good,people won't buy new. but going back to food- you can only more or less take it as an estimate.i've had milk that tasted off before the date,and chicken that was fine frozen 7 months in.

Good points. They're probably just safety measures that companies simply have to cover all their bases. Just remember, at the grocery store the freshest food is always on the bottom because they have to get rid of things before their dates come up.

I have tried using some or eating some a couple of times and they're still good. I thinks the product is just trying to be safe telling us not to eat or use those products beyond those dates.

I think that it would be still much worse with out these "best before" dates anyway. I think these dates are marked to ensure safety of the consumers and also safety of manufacturers. If there were no dates marked, people could complain about the products, in case they get food poisoned or something. If there is a date marked here, you use it on your own responsibility, so you can't complain if you've eaten an expired ice cream and then threw it up. It's also easier to determine, when product is going to expire, I mean, some products don't look bad when they actually are bad. I agree with you, that some products can be used even after their date is expired. I've eaten some products even some 2-3 days after expiry date and they tasted good. It's just our choice whether to eat it or not. Another plus of the "best before" date, is that you can get quite large discount (at least in our country) on products that are going to expire tomorrow. For example you can get such milk products up to 50% lower price. But yes, still I would recommend to check products condition first before throwing it away - it might be still eatable!