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> Does anyone actually do this for real?

I don't. For most foods, it's really obvious when they've become unsafe to eat. For those where it's not so obvious, my policy is "if I can't remember how long it's been in there, I'm tossing it."

I can't remember the last time I actually looked at a date printed on the packaging. I've found those dates to be meaningless.




It was not until I was married that I found out mayo even had an expiry date. None of my roommates in the university days used enough to actually work through a jar. It somehow made it fridge to fridge through multiple leases.


Mayo is one of the foods where I would be antsy about dates. That is an extremely common cause of food poisoning


not by itself generally. it's too salty and acidic, and the supermarket stuff is often full of edta to boot, so bacteria can't get iron, magnesium, or calcium. mayo diluted with boiled potato is another story

also supermarket mayo is labeled as good for months, but salmonella (the usual culprit) can grow in hours. so the sell-by date wouldn't protect you there


Source? I mean obviously be careful with homemade mayo made from fresh, uncooked egg, but the store bought stuff is pasteurized and seems pretty stable.

https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Does-mayonnaise-cause-foodbor...


Use by dates are only relevant until the product is opened. They usually then have a "consume within" time which is often relatively short.




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