Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Enaging in risky behavior ...

... and by that I mean eating unsafe foods. Here are some excerpts:
Should I drink milk after its use-by date? What about eggs?

Drinking milk a day or two after its use-by date shouldn't be an issue. But if you notice changes in flavor, consistency, smell -- don't take any chances, Nelken said.

For eggs, the USDA recommends using within three to five weeks of the date of purchase. The "sell-by" date will usually expire by then, but the eggs are safe to use.

Eggs and milk should be stored in the coldest areas of the refrigerator, not on the door, since it's four to five degrees warmer there.
That's good to know. Have you looked at the price of eggs lately?
Should I drink the water after the expiration date has passed on the bottle?

"What happens with water is absolutely nothing," Beattie said. Water is safe to drink even past its expiration date (as long as there's no leakage in the bottle), but the water may taste different.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, bottled water is considered to have an indefinite safety shelf life if it is produced and stored properly. While the federal agency does not require an expiration date for bottled water, many manufacturers elect to put expiration dates.

"What happens is that people feel more comfortable with bottled water with a code date," Beattie said. "There is no safety factor beyond that. Manufacturers feel that quality of water may deteriorate or become more neutral."
People actually buy water still? Haven't people learned that when they are buying bottled water, they're probably buying someone else's tap water?

Get a water filter unit for your faucet and a nice BPA-free water bottle.

2 comments:

Genomic Repairman said...

The money people could save on a week of bottle water alone would buy the stupid Brita filter pitcher that comes with a FREE water bottle. It takes but a minute during the day to fill the pitcher up and for apartment dwellers like myself you don't have mount anything to the faucet. That's it, I'm giving these things out as Christmas gifts this year.

Thomas Joseph said...

Good idea. I've been trying to get my parents away from bottled water for the longest time (I always read them the origin of the water ... typically only a couple of hundred or so miles away from where they live). I offered to buy them a faucet unit, but my mom didn't want it. I'll probably get them a pitcher filter unit for Christmas.