> Frogleg writes:
>
"Aria" wrote:
>
>>I have a jar of Chanterelle mushrooms that are dated a little over a year
>>ago. Would you still use them? Or should I toss????
>
>Dates on food aren't "use by." They are often "best by" or "sell by"
>or "packaged on". They are designed to keep stock rotating on
>supermarket shelves, and sometimes to give an idea of how long they
>can be stored without a noticable change in flavor, texture, or color.
>Properly packaged food can be expected to be safe to eat for as long
>as the can or jar is intact and properly sealed. Discard any punctured
>or rusty can, or vacuum-sealed jar where the seal has failed.

That's all well and good theoretically, but in the real world "properly
packaged "is not perfect. No one can tell by looking whether a can was
perfectly processed and/or its seal has become breached. Canned foods can have
become quite toxic and continue to become moreso for many months before the can
begins to noticeably bulge and/or weep. These days most canned goods are
indeed marked with a "best by" date for product freshness, but the commercial
canners also advise a "use by" date for food safety, usually 2-3 years
depending on type of food. Since the "use by" date can usually only be
determined by the code embossed on the can, and since it's not practical to
wear the secret decoder ring at all times, it's best to mark the date of
purchase on all your groceries as soon as you arrive home, before putting them
away... then you can rotate your stock too... otherwise it's fairly easy to end
up with a cupboard filled with many cans that were purchased many years ago.
It's especially important to be careful with jarred foods, items like jarred
'shrooms often don't have a safety vacuum button nor is it always obvious that
the jar was previously opened. Food safety is *deadly* serious business, not
something to poo-poo... if you have any doubt throw it out. I mean like what
kinda cheapo moronic ******* risks their health and that of others over a $2
jar of shrooms. DUH!


---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Sheldon
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