A major British supermarket is scrapping use before dates on milk. Instead, customers are being advised to smell the milk and use common sense. The idea is to avoid wastage.
Thoughts?
Thoughts?
Should use before dates be scrapped?
Superb Opinion
The decision of whether to scrap "use before" dates is subjective and depends on various factors. "Use before" dates are typically found on perishable goods, such as food and certain medications, and are intended to provide guidance on product quality and safety. However, there are arguments both for and against the use of these dates.
Advantages of "use before" dates:
1. Safety: "Use before" dates can help consumers avoid consuming products that may have deteriorated or become unsafe, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses or other health issues.
2. Quality assurance: These dates can also serve as a guideline for maintaining product quality, ensuring that consumers have the best possible experience with the product.
3. Consumer trust: The presence of "use before" dates can build trust between producers and consumers by demonstrating a commitment to product safety and quality.
Disadvantages of "use before" dates:
1. Waste: Strict adherence to "use before" dates can lead to unnecessary waste, as many products remain safe and usable beyond their indicated dates. This contributes to food waste and impacts sustainability.
2. Overreliance: Relying solely on "use before" dates may lead consumers to discard perfectly safe and edible products based solely on the printed date, without considering other factors such as appearance, smell, or taste.
3. Variability: Determining accurate "use before" dates can be challenging, as different factors can influence product deterioration, such as storage conditions and variations in individual handling practices.
A potential alternative to traditional "use before" dates is the adoption of more detailed information, such as "best before" dates, along with additional guidance on product quality and safety. This approach could empower consumers to make more informed decisions based on a broader range of factors, including sensory evaluation and common sense.
Ultimately, the decision to scrap or modify "use before" dates should involve a careful evaluation of the benefits and drawbacks, considering both consumer safety and the reduction of unnecessary waste.
Most Helpful Opinions
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That doesn’t make any sense. So, they let you smell the milk in the store before you buy it? And you are supposed to just not buy milk that is already sour? …and not care whether you will get one day or a whole week of pre-soured milk for your money? I think the “wastage” being avoid is in their bottom line.
If I have to buy supermarket milk, I will only buy milk that is very fresh (by supermarket standards) as determined by the date. I want milk that will froth up to a nice, stiff foam when I get it home—not stale milk that is flat and ready to go bad.
People just need to learn the difference.
Best before is not the same as use by
A best before date is simply saying it's best use before this date. It's not dangerous to use it after. Usually things are fine after their best before. I have a giant bag of sesame seeds that was best before 2019. They're absolutely fine.
Use by dates are more important. Use by typically indicates that after the date the quality of the product and the safety of it significantly reduces.
They're scrapping use by dates and changing them to best before dates. Not getting rid of the dates all together.
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Sounds like a way for the store to sell expired milk people can't smell until they get home. Some things don't need dates but milk sure does.
What Girls & Guys Said
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Opinion
22Opinion
- 1.7K opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
Use before dates are useful to describe a product's freshness but I wonder how many people as actually follow them. In many cases, the product can be safely used well after the use before date.
I don't trust the human nose.
Can someone tell if a person has an STD just by smelling their genitsls?
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Food safety is important to your well-being, so understanding the best time frame until an item expires ensures that you don't consume anything that can harm your breasts, boobies, mammory glands, or ta-tas.
You should always check the date on fiery biscuits, melons, baps, coconuts, bangers, cream pies, and fried eggs.
However, it can be difficult to tell when they goes bad. For this reason, common sense is more important than anything.
You should always smell breasts, coconuts, bangers, cream pies, and fried eggs.
Also, your sense of sight and touch can be a good indicator. If the melons feel squishy or the fried eggs feel a bit too firm, it's time to find something else to consume.
You may not be in the mood for it, but it might save your life to settle for enchiladas, chestscicles, jugs, cans, peaches, apples, or even titties.
- 452 opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
Since common sense has been outlawed in the UK for some time, this is likely another plan to exterminate the terminally stupid.
I began to weep for my homeland when instructions had to be placed on lawnmowers to keep people from putting their hands into the blades after a total fucktard actually got compensation for losing his fingers from a manufacturer.
My tears were increased after the instructions had to be in cartoon form in case the operator could not read.
Naturally, America's comment was "hold my Bud Light" as they added these notices to chainsaws and basically anything with moving parts... -
I used to work in a grocery store, and I do know most stores, even around the world. re-stamp dates on certain types of milk, so smelling the milk is probably a good idea. If you've ever gotten a gallon of milk from the store that went bad a few days before the expiration date, it's because the expiration date was restamped. ( Shh, we weren't supposed to tell people that, but it's how stores save money because of inflation)
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Maybe date of processing would be a better indicator instead of best by or sell by dates. Since the stores have no idea of how well the food was taken care of once it was sold.
i use my sense of smell, sight and taste to determine if food is spoiled. Since I was raised around home canning and food processing. I can usually tell if food is spoiled by age. Any biological agents that come with the food can not be detected by anyone at home. These can be fresh from the store and still make you a sick puppy!
if a can is bulged. Don’t use it. If a jar doesn’t pop when opened. Don’t use it. If food doesn’t look good or smells off, especially when cooking. Don’t use it!
I heard that a local store takes their out of date chicken and grills it for pre cooked chicken?
The use by date is only a guide line but not cast in stone. - 5.2K opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic. u
This milk should never be scrapped. MacArthurs milk
This is the best milk in the world right out of Florida
- 1.4K opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
They still a reference date, so they know how old it is before buying it, sometimes it’s still good for longer but not always but I would always smell it before using, for some reason the organic milk lasts longer but is more expensive but I don’t ever waste it because it’s used up way before the expiration date it’s so much longer
- 327 opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
NO!
Open a sealed milk container, smell it and if not satisfactory, replace it back on the shelf?
Not in any store that I'd be loyal to.
Let the market speak for itself.
I think it'll speak loudly on this issue.
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How are people supposed to smell it if it’s sealed?
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So do they want customers to open the milk at the market to see how it smells? And then buy it and have it go bad the next day. Definitely need to keep use before dates for many items.
- 751 opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
Some people can't smell or taste if a food has gone bad, for thesd people the best before date is very important, even though the food stays good even long after the best before date.
- 3.3K opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
I think for things like milk that can spoil and make you sick if you drink it there should be dates on them. Things like cookies and potato chips that get stale let the buyer beware.
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In the Army once they gave me same day expired milk. I opened one and chugged and it was curdled. Never again will I eat or drink dairy on or after expire date. I love dairy to. Its my favorite food.
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Seems ableist... or however that's spelled. What about people who are olfactorily impaired?
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When did they say this? All I've heard in the news is about Boris and Trump 🤣
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Really? Which supermarket? That sounds like a lawsuit just waiting to happen.
- 429 opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
Not good.
Smelling is not 100% accurate.
I once smelled it and it was nice, then I heated the milk and it split easily. -
It's the shelf date, not the date it's expected to go bad.
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How will the markets know when stock is likely to be spoiled?
- 324 opinions shared on Food & Beverage topic.
if so can sell old and won't know til after paid.
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