Use-by dates are a guide to the freshness of food products, but you won't come to any harm if you eat something which is a few days over its date. Use your common sense to decide whether or not to throw an item away when the date has expired. Also take into consideration the condition of the packaging, and the type of food.

Vegemite, peanut butter, canned foods or rice can be used long after their use-by dates if the packaging is intact. If cans are bulging or leaking, disregard the use-by date and throw them away. Refrigerated items such as milk or yoghurt should be perfect until the use-by date, and they're usually alright for a day or two after. Look at the product, smell it, and if it seems fine it probably will be. If bread has any kind of mould, whether it's past its use-by date or not, throw it out, because mould on bread can make you sick. The fresher eggs are, the better. You can tell if an egg is stale by putting it in a bowl of water. A really fresh egg will sink and lie on its side, an older egg will sit with its flat end up, and a very stale egg will float. When you crack an old egg the yolk will be flat and the white will be runny. As long as the egg doesn't smell bad it can be eaten, but it won't taste as good. Don't use meat, fresh chicken and fresh cheeses if they're past their use-by dates.

Further information

Rosemary Stanton's Complete Book of Food & Nutrition (Simon & Schuster, revised edition 1995, rrp $29.95)

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