Food hygiene

[Mortblanc]

I am not sure about the UK but in the US use by/sell by/best by dates are set at the discretion of the PRODUCER and not the government.

I have worked in several places where my job was to "refresh the product", meaning change the wrapper and stamp on a new date.

As a side note, this past week I ate some food from an old batch of emergency stores when unexpected guests arrived in camp. Prepackaged noodles and sauce with use by date of 2009. That means I probably bought them in 2006! They were in the original wrapper and stored in a heavy zip lock bag.

No ill effects to me or the other 6 people that consumed them.

Mind you I did not inform anyone of my antics because I know that one of them is phobic about "use by" dates. He also sniffs his food before he eats it. At the proper time in the future I will spring this information on him, probably after he has just finished one of is sniffing sessions.