Best Before...

Do you freak out when you see the words “use by” followed by a date, and that date was two years ago?

I must confess that I’m not alarmed by these statements. I have my own methods of checking for safe consumption. In the case of spices, I take a pinch between thumb and forefinger, mash and rub. If the green leaves release a strong odor of sage, then it’s okay to use in the stuffing. In the case of milk or left-over meat-loaf, I also trust my nose. If the condition of an egg is doubtful, I break it into a bowl. If the yolk stands upright, self-contained and a healthy yellow, then I use it.

Once I found a foil-wrapped slice of pizza in the back of the fridge. The pepperoni looked dry and brown, so I took a tiny bite. It tasted just fine, so I had it for dinner will no ill effects. Remember, food poisoning comes from contamination, not spoilage.

The actual words used as advice on products are “use by”, “sell by”, “best before”, or in the case of quinoa, “won’t be trendy after.” It’s a suggestion, not an ultimatum. A problem arises when people mentally insert the word “expiration” in place of the printed words before the date.

As to pharmaceuticals, I’m a bit more cautious. I once retrieved a half-empty tube of expensive eye ointment from the medicine cabinet that was more than one year past its date. I tossed it in the trash rather than take a chance, although my Scots blood screamed in protest. A veteran of the Vietnam War told me the Army gave him a perfectly effective aspirin that was left over from the Korean War. I was more than slightly skeptical. While I believe the aspirin was safe to swallow, I question its potential to affect a headache.

A new National Resources Defense Council and Harvard Law School study recommends eliminating sell-by dates because they are misleading. The dates were created by local and state organizations in the1970s. (I had successfully cared for mine and my family’s culinary needs for many years before that time.) They were established for the sole purpose of helping people know when the products are freshest – not safest, and it’s only a guess.

Because I know nothing about the National Resources Defense Council, I don’t take their word for anything.

But I do have a lot of faith in Harvard Law School students. If they say ignore the “sell by” dates, then let’s do it!