Labeling on food nearing expiration date

[PeteC]

Those military rations are a different animal I think. I too was eating Korean war vintage in the mid 1960's during field training. I would venture to guess they were loaded with some kind of preservative that is probably illegal now.

[Big Boy]

If it's a canned or bottled product like fruit, vegetables, sardines etc., if you have refrigerated it upon purchase well before the best by/use by listed date it will be good long after that date, swollen or dented cans the exception IMO. It then comes down to what you're comfortable with and the quality detected when finally opened.

When I was in the military in the 1980's, we used to get given canned rations that were dated in the 1950's and it didn't taste any different from the newer stuff.

That concerns me - I was a supplier of ration packs back then, and if youre telling the truth, I should have had my arse kicked.

We basically used the same stuff that was sold in supermarkets (sometimes with different packaging). Expiry dates applied to us as it does to supermarkets.

[STEVE G]

That concerns me - I was a supplier of ration packs back then, and if youre telling the truth, I should have had my arse kicked.

I joined up at HMS Fisgard, Torpoint in 1980 and all the ration packs we used in training were 1960's at the latest and I remember eating one from 1954. The only reason we used to notice was that the Mars bar in them used to be in an old kind of wrapper that you didn't see in the shops anymore, all the other stuff was the same. They were those old A,B,C and D menu one day ration packs with the small tins that you cooked on a hexamine stove.

[Big Boy]

I honestly don't understand that, not doubting you're telling the truth, but it wasn't allowed. Maybe being a stone frigate full of kids, they considered you guys the modern equivalent of cannon fodder

[Big Boy]

I honestly don't understand that, not doubting you're telling the truth, but it wasn't allowed. Maybe being a stone frigate full of kids, they considered you guys the modern equivalent of cannon fodder

Thinking it through, we couldn't supply stuff that was out of date, but maybe local units could stockpile. We didn't use anything special, but at the same time, it was chosen because it should last.

[STEVE G]

Yes, maybe they never disposed of old ones that were out of date, I was 16 at the time and obviously didn't question it, we just expected to get treated like that!

[Big Boy]

I definitely remember Mars Bars - if they were close to going out of date, we were delighted because we had to dispose of them

[Edit] My favourite treat though was the Barley Sugar from the life-rafts.

[handdrummer]

In the US army, in the late 50's, all the rations came in brown tins and were dehydrated. Just add water and heat so it didn't matter when they were produced.

[HHTel]

I was in the navy through the 60's and when going on 'jungle patrol' in Malaysia, we used to draw 'K-rations'. There were no labels on the tins just a stamp of the contents. Even a box of matches was in a tin. I don't remember any dates being on them but never suffered any ill effects from eating them.

[Takiap]

I notice VM discount stuff after it has expired. The other day, at the one in town, I was looking for apple sauce. They had Colemans, but it expired last month and it was reduced in price. I bought some aussie stuff instead.

Isn't the distinction Best Before (which is still OK to use after the date) as opposed to Use By (which is not OK to use)

Correct, BB. 'Best before' is different to 'use by' or 'expiry date'.
'Best before' is still okay for a while but usually the flavour is not up to standard.

One of the most successful marketing ploys ever to be introduced. With certain products, then yes, maybe the standard starts to decline, but are still good even weeks or months after the "Best Before" date.

A few examples which spring to mind: Various types of cheese, cured meats such as salami and etc, canned foods, to name just a few.

[Takiap]

Certainly in Tesco, Market Village, there are a couple of sections of heavily discounted items about to go out of date.

Yes, Makro does the same thing.

[crazy88]

Swap the labels !

Crazy 88

[migrant]

I think down by us expiration dates are pretty well ignored. Even in our Tesco I have to always check and have found quite a few beyond date items. I've also not seen any marking down of items due to the date.

If any have more interest this was interesting

https://www.forbes.com/sites/eustaciahu ... ed4dde5936

[lindosfan1]

UK food agency guide on best by date

The best before date, sometimes shown as BBE (best before end), is about quality and not safety. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good. Best before dates appear on a wide range of foods including:

frozen foods
dried foods
tinned foods
The best before date will only be accurate if the food is stored according to the instructions on the packaging.

There is more guidance on WRAPs website for best before and use by dates. This is a piece that we collaborated with WRAP and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to produce.

[HHTel]

From an article in 2017 about Scott's discovered fruit cake.

And, get this: it’s been deemed in “excellent condition,” which, in 106 year-old fruitcake terms, translates to “almost” edible.

“The cake looks as new, feels heavy, and slightly gives to the touch,” says Meeks. “The ‘almost’ edibility stems from the aroma, which is of slightly rancid butter. The cake has largely been frozen, which has helped preserve it. It was also wrapped in a paper liner, similar to today’s waxed or sandwich paper, and then it was sealed in a tin - it’s been well-protected from light, oxygen and exposure to moulds and other bacteria.”

Made by Huntley and Palmers!