On Oct 6, 5:04?pm, "Janet B." > wrote:
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > Sheldon wrote:
> >> On Oct 6, 1:29?am, "Default User" > wrote:
> >>> jmcquown wrote:
> >>>> Glasswalker wrote:
> >>>>> Hey all.
>
> >>>>> Just wondering how long deli meat can be expected to store in the
> >>>>> fridge? I'm talking about meat (in this case salami, pastrami, and
> >>>>> pepperoni) sliced and purchased from the deli in the local
> >>>>> supermarket. This deli in particular wraps the meat with some
> >>>>> paper, and then puts it in a zip top bag with a slider zipper.
>
> >>>> Read the "use by" date on the package.
>
> >>> What package? He's talking about stuff purchased from the deli. I've
> >>> never seen any dates on those.
>
> >> You never will. If they have a scale that generates a weight/$$ label
> >> it will also print the date of sale, but not a use-by date.... pre-
> >> packaged, factory sealed cold cuts are labeled with a *sell*-by date
> >> but not a use-by date. Even fresh meats have no use-by date, only a
> >> sell-by date. But then Jill is different from the rest of us, she has
> >> a butcher buddy who fills her personal needs.
>
> > You're just jealous because you never thought about asking the butcher to
> > grind meat for you. At any rate, I don't buy cold cuts. I despise cold
> > sandwiches. But I'm pretty sure at the deli they can slap on a sticker
> > that
> > says "use by".
>
> I would think the supermarket/deli would be opening themselves up to a
> liability lawsuit if they did that. A 'use-by' date only applies to the
> unopened package. In this case the unopened package would be the entire
> hunk of bologna or cheese or whatever that the deli cuts from. Depending
> upon when they cut into the primary cut, how quickly it is being sold and
> how it was handled, as Sheldon says, the clock is ticking.


Even the cold cut chunk the delis slice from have no use-by date, they
have a sell-by date. A use-by date is synonymous with an expiration
date, it's reserved for drugs. Some foods do have a "best used by
date", but that's a huge difference from "use-by". But you won't find
a best use-by date on foods that can spoil... carbonated beverages are
marked with a best used by date, but that only refers to quality
issues, not safety issues.