• What do you think the percentage is of Americans who throws out good food (even junk food) based on the expiration date? I mean - they do so not because the food might be stale but because they believe it suddenly became possibly toxic to eat.

  • What's the percentage for non-food stuff like soap? The other day I noticed my liquid hand soap has an expiration date for whatever reason. I better hurry up - I only have two years left of it being safe.

I started thinking about it after I read this...

"Good thing I read the labels and dates before I opened or ate anything. I avoided potential food poisoning and/or a trip to urgent care by paying attention."

It's from an Amazon review. After they checked the label - they learned the package was delivered with an expiration date two weeks past. They are talking about a Ruffles potato chip variety pack.

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    1 year ago

    I googled about dented cans because I wanted to know myself how dangerous the food could be. I found very vague answers. This super-short page at the USDA is typical. They hedged. Note the "should". At least they defined the difference between a small dent and deeply dented can.

    Is it safe to use food from dented cans?

    Mar 24, 2023

    If a can containing food has a small dent, but is otherwise in good shape, the food should be safe to eat. Discard deeply dented cans. A deep dent is one that you can lay your finger into. Deep dents often have sharp points. A sharp dent on either the top or side seam can damage the seam and allow bacteria to enter the can. Discard any can with a deep dent on any seam.

    ---

    Rant - the CDC was crap. They have stuff about home canning but ordinary cans. All I could find was this and it sounds like company-approved PR...

    Commercially canned foods are much less likely to be a source of botulism because modern commercial canning processes kill C. botulinum spores.

    I couldn't find a single mention about dented commercially canned foods. What a garbage agency it is!

    • medium_adult_son [he/him]
      ·
      1 year ago

      Thanks for looking up that info, even if the canned foods industry has ruined the ability of the FDA to do its job.

      :you-had-one-job:

      • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
        ·
        1 year ago

        :you-had-one-job:

        Exactly.

        I wonder how many Americans emailed, texted, and even called them on the phone asking where the "dented can" page was.