Out of date food?

Sell by I would eat it months afetrwards. Use by maybe a day...

I'm fairly relaxed. As far as I know (and the Funky one may correct), Best Before's can be ignored while Eat By's need attention. A few days (on anything) wouldn't bother me. I'd be more worried about the rank taste of a week-old sausage roll than the food poisoning potential. Most processed food is preserved and treated to within an inch of its life anyway.

Ah sorry I mean use by dates. A week is excessive isn't it? Especially for meat?

I won't eat bread if there are bits of mould on it, or chop mouldy bits of cheese etc. mrmini thinks both of these are fine.

Agree with you Mini about mouldy bits. My mum will just chop it off, but my understanding is that even if just a little bit looks mouldy the whole thing can be contaminated.

As for use by dates, it depends what it is. I won't leave meat or yoghurt longer than a couple of days. I'll still eat fruit or veg a few days later if it looks edible.

But the meat in a sausage roll is cooked before packaging, so not all meat is problematic. I'd worry more about week-past raw meat. Or raw anything animal-derived. I will chop mould off cheese, providing there's an inch of leeway.

Seeing mould means there is loads more you can't see so I don't touch stuff with mould except for stuff that is supposed to have it?

If it was a homemade sausage roll def wouldn't touch it, actually no a week is too long for me as well?

I am hoping the sheer processedness of the sausage roll preserves it, although in a perverse way I woul like mrmini to have food poisoning to teach him a lesson!

Yea your right! (If you mean use by rather then eat by)

Did he cook or heat the sausage roll before eating?

No he ate it cold *vomit*

No he ate it cold *vomit*

It's really only ready to eat foods you need to be very careful with like pre packed sandwiches for example.

Raw meat could have pathogenic bacteria on it whether its in date or not and the cooking process will kill any pathogens making it safe whether its in date or out of date....it's spoilage bacteria that makes food smell and taste bad (its used in cheese and yoghurt production all the time) but spoilage bacteria will not give you food poisoning it might make you retch because it smells or taste so bad if something's very 'ripe' or 'funky' smelling ha

Judging by how quickly he hoovered it down it doesn't look like it smelt bad.

Im still repulsed, he best not try and kiss me.

I'm a bit ridiculous. I'll throw food out that I've had in the fridge for a few days, even before it's past it's use by date. I feel like stuff is 'off'. Milk gets tipped away after it has been opened a maximum of 3 days, same with cheese and bread regardless of the date on the packet. I just can't use it afterwards. Jars of preserves like jam, chutney, sauces; I give them a max of a week then they get chucked. I know stuff is fine but I have a bit of a mould phobia which takes over any rationality.

Generally stuff that lives in the fridge I mostly abide by dates, packet stuff not so much. Except for veggies, which live in the fridge but get chucked if they're manky, nothing to do with the date on them.

Bumblebrat, you'd hate my fridge. I've got jam in there that's a good couple of years old.

I've got jam and chutneys etc that have been in the fridge for months. H has just chucked out some mayo that went out of date in March. I love reduced food bargains in the supermarket and I chop the mould off of bread and cheese. I also drink out of date milk as long as it smells ok. I'm not dead.

Best befores I would give it a few days no problem

Use by I an quite cautious about. I would never use food after a use by date (especially raw meats) its just something I really don't like.

I am also quite careful about how long something has been open (ie I lob Hs ham in the bin after two days and he goes mental as hes got the rest of the week to go)

Because of my work I have to be very aware of spoiled food and raw meat dates etc. I'm also the one on charge of temperature recording and making sure everything is hot enough so I get a bit paranoid at home if meat is up to temperature etc.

I teach food safety as part of my job and am a bit paranoid about use by dates on refrigerated products, unless as James says it is something that can be cooked. Best before I don't give a damn I have stuff in my cupboard that is ancient, I think best before dates are crazy and should go to reduce food waste.

I give it a sniff or a squeeze depending on what it is then go for it.

The other half was mortified the other day cause I had some hundreds and thousands that went out of date in 2006 and was about to use them- he threw them away- no ice cream 'specia'l for me ?

If it still smells good and tastes good, I'll eat it.

I'm disappointed to report that MrMini suffered no ill effects of the week old sausage roll. *sigh* He now sees this as another reason to tell me that I should eat rotten food as it wont hurt me.

Some types of food poisoning (campylobacter avg 3-5days, listeria upto 70 days) incubation periods so don't rule it out yet mini one!