4d's next question - Best before date

[Flashheart]

What does freezer burned mean?

[herthab]

Use by dates highlight a food safety risk if eaten past that date, ie foods high in moisture and protein which are potential breeding grounds for harmful bacteria. Selling, or even giving away, food past this date is illegal.
Best before dates highlight that after this date the quality may not be as good. Foods with best before dates are low risk and it isn't against the law to sell past expiry.

[janaage]

What's the problem with eating out of date eggs? I thought if they float then chuck them, if they don't they're fine? I don't go by the use by / best before date.

[THE FLASH]

Freezer burn is when something has been dried by the sub zero temp....like prawns.

[Notts red]

We have chucked more food away from the freezer than the fridge because of dates. Used to have a big chest freezer but so much stuff was left untouched in the bottom, we now have a more sensible sized one which means we waste a lot less.

[Bogus Dave]

I didn't think things got out of date if they were frozen? Pretty much everything in my freezer at uni was at least two weeks out of date, and I'm not dead yet.

[herthab]

Frozen foods have a best before date but are edible. Even freezer burned stuff is edible, just tastes a bit rank.

[Coca Fola]

I've kept a human torso in my freezer for a good 2 years now and just to confirm that it's kept quite well in that time.