Born on, Best if used by, Expiration and Sell by dates

I’ve noticed that we have multiple ways of saying the same thing.  Many food products have an Expiration date; while others like beer have Born on dates and still others milk specifically have a Best if used by date.  I appears the goal is the same, which is to tell you when the product is beyond it’s prime.  I’ve even seen “Sell by” dates and those are confusing because why would I buy an item that the store must sell today, is it ready to explode.  I sometimes expect to be handed a document to sign releasing them of all responsibility if I buy a product that is nearing the “Sell By” date.

Expiration dates seem to be the most decisive in that they appear more explicit saying the food has expired (died), stop don’t eat this or you could expire.  However I have noticed pantry cabinets of seniors (80’s to 90’s) containing many products with long expired dates sometimes 10 or more years yet they are still here and functioning.  I can only conclude that they must have built up some immunity so they are not affected by expired products.

Many beers have a “Born on date” but that information is less helpful because you need to calculate how long the beer will be fresh based on the brewers’ recommendation.  If beer needs a drinkability date just tell me what it is, I assume brewers’ can add.  There are some beers and most wines that have a cellar time which means it’s best if you wait to drink this beer or wine until later but this information is not always on the label, so if they know that why doesn’t the label say it.  Why are you making me search the Internet for information you already have?

Then there are “Best if used by” dates, which I see on milk and some other products but milk is my main concern.  I like milk, I always have but there is nothing worse than pouring a cold glass of milk only to find out it’s sour.  Now I know if it pours out in chunks, it’s not drinkable but there’s fine line before it chunks up when it’s already sour but you might not know until you taste it.  I hate that, especially if it’s before the “Best if used by” date on the container, I think, well they got that wrong.  I have suspicions that the “Best if used by” dates are chosen with a dartboard, that’s all I’m saying on that subject.  What about buttermilk, it comes out in chunks when it’s fresh.  How do you know when it’s bad, does it pour out smooth? 

Mattress manufactures are also jumping on the bandwagon saying that your mattress needs to be replaced every 8 years, I guess marketers call these “Lay on” dates. 

I don’t remember products having this information on the labels when I grew up.  The more I think about it, all this info is not really helpful and it might be best to go with the old process “If it taste bad throw it away” date.  “Just Saying…..”