How many of us throw away food before it's really gone bad?
 

This is in NO WAY supposed to be a blasting post on my wonderful hubby. My DH grew up with absolutely nothing and he went to bed hungry quite a lot of the time. We met when I was 21 yrs. old, and he's 10 yrs. older. But what I'm getting at is this.....he remembers when an expiration date on something meant that it was the last date to use that item (I really think he dreamed this or it makes sense to him), so now if something says that "sell by" date was last week, it magically went bad, but it was ok until then. So I really have to use all my bought canned food, even pasta and cake mix, etc., before the sell by date, or it goes in the trash. I can't convince him otherwise, but this morning I read this and I printed it out for him so now maybe he'll think twice before wasting our money (or maybe I won't buy as much?)....http://www.grandparents.com/food-and...ampaign=fnl154

I get upset when when my DH suddenly decides he is no longer going to eat something esp after I just replenished the pantry or fridge. Yesterday he announced that he no longer was going to eat grapes! Says they discolor his teeth. I hate grapes unless they are fermented. ;). I also reminded him that his teeth are not white to begin with! ( age related discoloration , not decay) . Or he suddnly is going on a diet after I buy his fav snacks....again, not my favs. I reminded him that if he did not eat 4 bags a day of those single serving chips, he could still cut back. But, no, he grabs one right after meals and remarks that he is still hungry! I give up! Yes,wasting food ticks me off. The sell by date has not been an issue tho.

sandy

Thanks, good information.

I have eaten can goods with expired dates but I try to be careful. Hate to waste food.

We hate to waste food. I try very hard to use things up. We have never gotten sick on anything that has been in the frig a few days - like leftovers. I don't usually stock up since I am retired and can get to the grocery on my way to or from - I leave the house most days whether to go to the gym, my one morning a week part time job, or just because. From what I understand, the sell by date doesn't mean it will go bad. It helps stores rotate their stock.

Here is just one article I found on Mr. Google.

http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/1...ck-to-toss-it/

When I showed my DH the article that I printed out, he said that he only throws stuff out that was more than 6-8 months past it's 'sell by' date.....most of which is cake mix and things like that. I make sure there is nothing wrong with anything past it's date and I try to keep an eye out for most of it myself, but I was mostly just interested in sharing the article. Thanks for your comments, and I hate to waste food too! (Maybe that's why I can't lose weight????)

I don't pay any attention to "expiration" dates, except maybe on milk and OTC meds, which ours tends to be outdated quite frequently. I figure we all managed "somehow" to survive before they came up with the "expiration" date theory.

If it smells good, it's good. I find those dates to be quite arbitrary and don't pay much attention to any of them.

I'm with Kimkankwilt on this one, if it's fruit and veg you can tell by looking at it if it's gone bad, if it's meat I smell it, you can smell meat that's gone off a mile away. Potato chips soda chocolate and beers are all fine way best the date on the packaging.

Sandygirl my husband does the same thing! I have come to call it OMS (Old Man Syndrome) because it started after he turned 50, and my friend said her DH did the same thing since he turned 50. He gets on a food kick then suddenly finds that it may not be that great so we should throw it all out. My daughters call it GOMS (Grumpy Old Man Syndrome) if he is over the top about it.