A man’s daring decision to use five-year-old gravy on his Sunday roast has sparked a heated debate on Reddit about the reliability of food expiration dates.
The user, BigBlueMountainStar, shared a photo of the gravy packet, which had an expiry date of July 2019, on the r/CasualUK forum. He expressed his concern about potential consequences with the simple statement, “Just made the gravy for the roast. Wish us luck…”.
The post quickly garnered a flurry of humorous replies, with some users reassuring him that he would likely be fine. One user commented, “Best before not use by. Should be fine.” Another joked, “Yeah, it should be fine.”
However, a few users took a more cautious approach, highlighting the importance of using common sense when it comes to food. One user explained that even ‘use by’ dates are not always accurate and that food can be perfectly safe to consume after the printed date.
Another user shared a personal anecdote, stating that their partner had recently eaten stuffed pasta that was three months past its ‘use or freeze by’ date and seemed fine so far. They argued that the pasta was still sealed and looked and smelled fine when opened.
The original poster, BigBlueMountainStar, confirmed that he did indeed use the gravy but has yet to reveal whether or not it made him ill.
According to EatByDate, packaged gravy can last for up to one year after its printed date, suggesting that the Reddit user may have been taking a calculated risk.
This incident highlights the often confusing nature of food expiration dates. While these dates are intended to guide consumers, they are not always an accurate indicator of food safety. The best approach is to use a combination of common sense, visual inspection, and smell to determine if a food item is still safe to consume.
