Disregard those “Best-Before Dates”
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Most of us toss items based on the best-before info on the package. But University associate professor Mike von Massow argues that our fixation on these numbers is misplaced.
That printed info denotes when manufacturers estimate the food will be at peak freshness, he explains. Most of the time, the food is still good. In his opinion, it comes down to a judgment call: if it looks and smells fine, it probably is fine.
For paranoid folks like me, websites such as StillTasty can tell you how long you can keep that open jar of salsa (one month for varieties that don’t come already refrigerated); how long you can freeze maple syrup (indefinitely); and how long that tub of yogurt should last past its sell-by date (seven to 10 days, apparently).
Just make sure to employ proper food-storage practices (as directed on the package), and resist the urge to crack open a fresh tub of sour cream just because the other one has already been open for a few days.