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"Best by" dates



 
 
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  #32  
Old July 6th 04, 09:56 PM
m. L. Briggs
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On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 23:15:01 -0700, "Cat Protector"
wrote:

If you want to eat food past the expiration date then go ahead but I don't
think it is great to put a cat's health at risk by giving him/her bad food.


I've never fed her bad food yet.
She eats Iams light + hairball and Some Fancy Feast for treats.My
message was that when we have "food drives" here, we are asked to
empty our cupboards of outdated food. (Did not say I had any) The
only thing that seems to get outdated in my cupboard is dry spaghetti.
I buy it but never seem to get around to cooking it --
  #33  
Old July 6th 04, 09:56 PM
m. L. Briggs
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Posts: n/a
Default

On Mon, 5 Jul 2004 23:15:01 -0700, "Cat Protector"
wrote:

If you want to eat food past the expiration date then go ahead but I don't
think it is great to put a cat's health at risk by giving him/her bad food.


I've never fed her bad food yet.
She eats Iams light + hairball and Some Fancy Feast for treats.My
message was that when we have "food drives" here, we are asked to
empty our cupboards of outdated food. (Did not say I had any) The
only thing that seems to get outdated in my cupboard is dry spaghetti.
I buy it but never seem to get around to cooking it --
  #34  
Old July 8th 04, 12:28 AM
Steve Crane
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"Cat Protector" wrote in message news:cTAGc.46535$rh.11597@okepread02...
Are you willing to bet a cat's life on that? They put dates on the cans for
a reason.


Most certainly - Since I have examined and tested canned foods that
are many many years past the expiration date I know whereof I speak.
Some years ago, (I won't bother to admit it has been multiple decades)
I was fed C-rations by the US Government that had been packaged over
20 years earlier in canned form. They tasted horrible - but they were
perfectly safe. My bet is they tasted horrible the day they were
canned so nothing much had really changed.

I have reviewed analyticals on canned foods that were over a decade
old, well beyond any expiration date. The nutrient values remained
within 10% of the original canning product. I have access to a
"library" of canned products going back to the early 50's. Unless the
seal is broken and some bacteria gets into the can, something you will
note in a "bulged" can lid and likely smell immediately when you open
it, the chance of any harm at all is extremely remote.
  #35  
Old July 8th 04, 12:28 AM
Steve Crane
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Cat Protector" wrote in message news:cTAGc.46535$rh.11597@okepread02...
Are you willing to bet a cat's life on that? They put dates on the cans for
a reason.


Most certainly - Since I have examined and tested canned foods that
are many many years past the expiration date I know whereof I speak.
Some years ago, (I won't bother to admit it has been multiple decades)
I was fed C-rations by the US Government that had been packaged over
20 years earlier in canned form. They tasted horrible - but they were
perfectly safe. My bet is they tasted horrible the day they were
canned so nothing much had really changed.

I have reviewed analyticals on canned foods that were over a decade
old, well beyond any expiration date. The nutrient values remained
within 10% of the original canning product. I have access to a
"library" of canned products going back to the early 50's. Unless the
seal is broken and some bacteria gets into the can, something you will
note in a "bulged" can lid and likely smell immediately when you open
it, the chance of any harm at all is extremely remote.
  #36  
Old July 8th 04, 12:39 AM
Cat Protector
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

How can you simply bet a cat's life on this. You may not think much of your
life but I don't think cats should be made to suffer because you insist on
putting their lives at risk. They put expiration dates on cans for a reason
but this seems to be lost on you.

--
Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!
www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek

Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com


"Steve Crane" wrote in message
om...
Most certainly - Since I have examined and tested canned foods that
are many many years past the expiration date I know whereof I speak.
Some years ago, (I won't bother to admit it has been multiple decades)
I was fed C-rations by the US Government that had been packaged over
20 years earlier in canned form. They tasted horrible - but they were
perfectly safe. My bet is they tasted horrible the day they were
canned so nothing much had really changed.

I have reviewed analyticals on canned foods that were over a decade
old, well beyond any expiration date. The nutrient values remained
within 10% of the original canning product. I have access to a
"library" of canned products going back to the early 50's. Unless the
seal is broken and some bacteria gets into the can, something you will
note in a "bulged" can lid and likely smell immediately when you open
it, the chance of any harm at all is extremely remote.



  #37  
Old July 8th 04, 12:39 AM
Cat Protector
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

How can you simply bet a cat's life on this. You may not think much of your
life but I don't think cats should be made to suffer because you insist on
putting their lives at risk. They put expiration dates on cans for a reason
but this seems to be lost on you.

--
Panther TEK: Staying On Top Of All Your Computer Needs!
www.members.cox.net/catprotector/panthertek

Cat Galaxy: All Cats, All The Time!
www.catgalaxymedia.com


"Steve Crane" wrote in message
om...
Most certainly - Since I have examined and tested canned foods that
are many many years past the expiration date I know whereof I speak.
Some years ago, (I won't bother to admit it has been multiple decades)
I was fed C-rations by the US Government that had been packaged over
20 years earlier in canned form. They tasted horrible - but they were
perfectly safe. My bet is they tasted horrible the day they were
canned so nothing much had really changed.

I have reviewed analyticals on canned foods that were over a decade
old, well beyond any expiration date. The nutrient values remained
within 10% of the original canning product. I have access to a
"library" of canned products going back to the early 50's. Unless the
seal is broken and some bacteria gets into the can, something you will
note in a "bulged" can lid and likely smell immediately when you open
it, the chance of any harm at all is extremely remote.



  #38  
Old July 8th 04, 12:39 AM
Steve Crane
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

itty (Sherry ) wrote in message ...
Uh... Steve knows that the cans have "sell by" dates & how they work; he
works for Hills.

Cathy


Sorry to piggyback, I lost Steve's original post and I wondered if he might
know the answer to this...On pet food. Is the "sell by" date the same as the
"use by" date? I was wondering because a pet food mill here gives us tons of
cat food that's near the "sell by" date. For instance, what we got this month
is "Sell byOctober". Apparently that's too short a time frame to get the food
distributed and for stores to sell it.



Sherry,
That will depend upon the manufacturer. Most manufacturers have gone
to a "Best if used by" dating which gives the consumer a hard date to
follow. The dating on foods is more critical in dry foods and foods
with high fat content. A Light food with low fat content may very well
be fine a month or so after the "Best if Used By" dating. A puppy food
or a growth food with much higher fat levels would be more at risk for
having gone rancid.
I'm sorry I can't give you a hard fast answer, but you would really
need to ask the specific manufacturer how to handle food that is past
the "Sell By" dating.
Dating on foods has really changed a lot in the 20 years I've been
around the industry. 20 years ago it took 3 days to change a
manufacturing line from one product to another. Automation and better
equipment has radically changed that. Now it takes about 13 minutes.
Thus in the "old" days a manufacturer might produce one type of food
for several weeks and build up a large supply. Today most
manufacturers build only enough food to last a few days at best. This
has big advantages to the consumer. 20 years ago you might have
purchased food that was warehoused for several months and approaching
its expiration. Today that's difficult to do. Most foods for sale in
pet stores and veterinary clinics is extremely fresh, often only a few
days to a couple weeks old at most.
  #39  
Old July 8th 04, 12:39 AM
Steve Crane
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

itty (Sherry ) wrote in message ...
Uh... Steve knows that the cans have "sell by" dates & how they work; he
works for Hills.

Cathy


Sorry to piggyback, I lost Steve's original post and I wondered if he might
know the answer to this...On pet food. Is the "sell by" date the same as the
"use by" date? I was wondering because a pet food mill here gives us tons of
cat food that's near the "sell by" date. For instance, what we got this month
is "Sell byOctober". Apparently that's too short a time frame to get the food
distributed and for stores to sell it.



Sherry,
That will depend upon the manufacturer. Most manufacturers have gone
to a "Best if used by" dating which gives the consumer a hard date to
follow. The dating on foods is more critical in dry foods and foods
with high fat content. A Light food with low fat content may very well
be fine a month or so after the "Best if Used By" dating. A puppy food
or a growth food with much higher fat levels would be more at risk for
having gone rancid.
I'm sorry I can't give you a hard fast answer, but you would really
need to ask the specific manufacturer how to handle food that is past
the "Sell By" dating.
Dating on foods has really changed a lot in the 20 years I've been
around the industry. 20 years ago it took 3 days to change a
manufacturing line from one product to another. Automation and better
equipment has radically changed that. Now it takes about 13 minutes.
Thus in the "old" days a manufacturer might produce one type of food
for several weeks and build up a large supply. Today most
manufacturers build only enough food to last a few days at best. This
has big advantages to the consumer. 20 years ago you might have
purchased food that was warehoused for several months and approaching
its expiration. Today that's difficult to do. Most foods for sale in
pet stores and veterinary clinics is extremely fresh, often only a few
days to a couple weeks old at most.
  #40  
Old July 8th 04, 01:27 AM
Cathy Friedmann
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Cathy

"Cat Protector" wrote in message
news:zQ%Gc.58014$rn1.512@okepread07...
How can you simply bet a cat's life on this. You may not think much of

your
life but I don't think cats should be made to suffer because you insist on
putting their lives at risk. They put expiration dates on cans for a

reason
but this seems to be lost on you.


"Steve Crane" wrote in message
om...
Most certainly - Since I have examined and tested canned foods that
are many many years past the expiration date I know whereof I speak.
Some years ago, (I won't bother to admit it has been multiple decades)
I was fed C-rations by the US Government that had been packaged over
20 years earlier in canned form. They tasted horrible - but they were
perfectly safe. My bet is they tasted horrible the day they were
canned so nothing much had really changed.

I have reviewed analyticals on canned foods that were over a decade
old, well beyond any expiration date. The nutrient values remained
within 10% of the original canning product. I have access to a
"library" of canned products going back to the early 50's. Unless the
seal is broken and some bacteria gets into the can, something you will
note in a "bulged" can lid and likely smell immediately when you open
it, the chance of any harm at all is extremely remote.





 




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