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I’m a little confused with the new expiration labels. Packages used to have an expiration date on them like, “expires 04-15-07.” There was no beating around the bush. If you ate that can of corn on 04-16-07, you might possibly die! When we say something expires, we mean that’s it; it ended. Our library cards expire, drivers licenses expire, magazine subscriptions expire, and I want to know when that can of beans expired.
Now I notice that packages say, “best when used by 04-15-07.” That isn’t really what I want to know. I want to know when it expired; when it’s going to make me sick or kill me, not when it’s best. I guess I want to know when it’s “Worst,” not “Best!” Maybe it’s a way for the food companies to lower their liability in case someone eats their food and gets sick. They can just say that it would have been better if he would have eaten that before the “best by” date. No kidding!
If I forget to renew my driver’s license, and get pulled over by the cops, they aren’t going to say, “Oh, by the way; that license was best if used by 03-15-11.” They are going to give me a ticket for driving with an expired driver’s license!
Come to think of it, it would be nice if we had an expiration date. We have a “Best if used by,” date; I think mine was in the ‘70’s sometime. But it would be handy to know when we will expire. Really I think there is a date, but we don’t have access to it.
You’ve probably guessed why I’m addressing this subject now, eh? Yes, I’ve been working on cleaning out the pantry of the some of the food that we bought on good deals. I look at the expiration date, if it’s too far back, or I don’t like it anyway, I reluctantly toss it. Otherwise I try it. There’s a limit that I have; nothing before 2000; although I fixed some pudding mix from 1994 that was in the freezer. I met my downfall with a can of beans. I don’t remember the date, but I believe in was on the 2005 shelf. They tasted OK, but about two hours later I got that funny feeling in my stomach and started running.
I think it depends on what it is, too. Pasta seems to survive OK in the freezer. I have a couple bags of flour in the freezer too, but I don’t want to spend a couple of eggs and hours making cookies with it if it could be bad. The flour might not be bad itself, but it could have that freezer smell. It would kind of be like that protective ice coating we get on stuff in the freezer too long.
Does that empty feeling ever go away after you’ve lost a long time mate? I don’t think so; how about you?
If you would like to contact me, my e-mail is: alnada2704@gmail.com.
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