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"Sell by" vs. "consume by" dates on deli items?
I bought some sliced ham in a supermarket (a few days ago) and just noticed that the label on the package says "sell by 11.12.2008". I figure that large supermarkets wouldn't really risk selling rotten food by setting a "sell by" date that is very close to the actual expiration date of the food item. So I'm wondering - if the "sell by" date was today, until when would it be fine for me to keep eating this ham? Is there some sort of a reasonable time window?
4 Answers
- Anonymous1 decade agoFavourite answer
The nose knows.
I find that ham usually lasts another week.
But you should sniff it before eating after expiration date. You'll know when to stop eating it.
If you do end up taking a bite, it will taste bad, but it won't really hurt you anyway.
- 1 decade ago
The sell by date is the last day a market can sell its product by. After that the consume by the date comes into effect. It all depends how you treat the piece of ham. Keeping it in a cool, arid place will preserve it from much longer than say keeping it on the counter. Remember it's meat so it'll be cooked, therefore killing any bacteria. Just be sure to store it well so to not risk it.
- new2meLv 41 decade ago
The Food and Drug Adm. in my state says that a perishable product with a sell by date usually means that the product will be good to consume for three weeks after the sell by date.
- Tumble weedLv 51 decade ago
Milk is one item that must be consumed not long after sell date as well as some other food items. Bread can last longer if refrigerated and some perishable foods can last long after their expiration date if they are frozen..
