The date on my cottage cheese....

[suziquzie]

..... is Oct 25.... doesnt say if thats sell by or use by anywhere.....
would you use it in YOUR manicotti? I'm leaning towards no.

[joec]

Expiration dates are something I watch and adhere to when it is on foods. I've seen stuff that looks, smells etc like it is still good but dump it any how. I might add that it is one of the few food warnings I really watch other than ingredients lists.

[Adillo303]

Oh Boy! This could be a long one.

The conventional wisdom is "If in doube - Throw it out."

Now - Are we talking about a container that has been opened and some used or a sealed container that has not been opened.

If you are willing, a small taste after a sniff. That should tell the story.

Sealed containers tend to stay good a while after the date.

my guess would be that if the date did not say use by that it is a sell by.

Hope this helps.

P. S. If it was MY Manicotti I woudl do as I suggested sniff and if it smells OK taste. If all that passed Yup!

[homecook]

LOL, Andy. I debated on answering this.........if it didn't taste or smell "off" I would still use it. BUT, that is me. You're probably right in that if it hasn't been opened it's still probably good. It's only been a week. I also don't have small children here.

[suziquzie]

It's been opened.... I'm thinking go with my gut and throw it so my guts dont remove themselves from me :)

Then I have an excuse to try making my own ricotta cheese!

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1041858&package_id=1119931

[homecook]

I agree then, if it's been opened I would probably chuck it. Pun intended.....:D

[Adillo303]

Already opened plus not comfortable = Chuck and be happy and healthy.

I debated too Barb. Lots of opinions on this subject. None really wrong or right.

I chuck many things that DW would eat. When she calls me on it, I offer to cook it for her if she likes. Usually doesn't happen. LOL

[ChowderMan]

to the extent there is no applicable Federal law, dates on perishable foods is an area for state & local law(s) - except for MN it appears no local authority may "adopt any . . regulations . . other than these" (para 31.786) of some law.

rather a lot of the links found by a site search at www.health.state.mn.us are broken.

here's a summary for MN
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/food/fs/datemarkingfactsheet.pdf

regrets, it's not too helpful for your specific question. as best I can read, the MN date is when the manufacturer determines the stuff may begin to lose its good taste . . . in following (some / other) links I didn't find anything more definitive - you could call the contact numbers on the fact sheet and ask for a clarification of what the heck it means.

[Adillo303]

BTW - Making Ricittasounds like fun.

[FryBoy]

I'm in the "when in doubt, throw it out" crowd. Visually examining or even smelling or tasting something may tell you whether it still tastes good, but that won't necessarily tell you whether it's bad. For example, botulism toxin is invisible, tasteless, and odorless but potential deadly in even small amounts.

One bit of advice -- check the dates at the store. I can't believe how many people simply grab and run, especially since I often find items past the pull date or expiration date. Often the items at the front of the shelf are older than the things behind them, but not always, so check.

[chowhound]

..... is Oct 25.... doesnt say if thats sell by or use by anywhere.....
would you use it in YOUR manicotti? I'm leaning towards no.

I'd call the manufacturer, if only to get them to define if it is a use by or sell by date.

[phreak]

I just saw something on TV a few weeks ago and they were saying that all the dates on foods are "best by" dates, not expiration dates. I usually go by the "nose knows" adage.

[phreak]

What is Dating?
"Open Dating" (use of a calendar date as opposed to a code) on a food product is a date stamped on a product's package to help the store determine how long to display the product for sale. It can also help the purchaser to know the time limit to purchase or use the product at its best quality. It is not a safety date. After the date passes, while not of best quality, the product should still be safe if handled properly and kept at 40 °F or below for the recommended storage times listed on the chart (see below). If product has a "use-by" date, follow that date. If product has a "sell-by" date or no date, cook or freeze the product by the times on the chart.

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp