Next time that datecode looks suspicious... - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 07:10:18 pm
content: ... check that you're using the right calendar!Quotehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-48764021

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 09:59:23 pm
content: A lot of companies seem to do this, hide the actual date by using some basic offset or converting to letters.Normally its not a big deal but on food its very annoying, I want to know when the thing was made. If its two years old I'm not buying it (even if they say it hasn't expired yet).

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 10:19:54 pm
content: Quote from: thm_w on June 25, 2019, 09:59:23 pmSo you will never buy any decent hard cheese, or wine, or whisky? Meat gets better the longer it is hung, up to about a month.I have some food in my cupboard marked best before Dec 1992; I and my daughter still eat it without ill effect. Ditto the uncooked meat hanging up since last year. I also have jam I made in 1987.Fundamentally if you understand the biological processes and chemical processes, you will enjoy better food.Something analogous is also true for electronic components, e.g. using a small signal bipolar transistor as a surprisingly effective zener diode for protecting inputs from transients.

author: TimFox
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 10:35:49 pm
content: Look up the difference between “Julian date” and “Julian calendar”.It was the calendar that was changed to Gregorian in Britain in the 18th century and in Russia in the 20th century.The code in question is neither. It is merely the number indicating the 140th day of year 2020 in the Gregorian calendar.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: June 25, 2019, 11:52:15 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on June 25, 2019, 10:19:54 pmPLEASE send some into Stuart Ashen. PM me for his PO Box address (he is located in Norwich).

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 01:25:31 am
content: That's not an uncommon date system in the industry.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordinal_date

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 01:32:14 am
content: If I am to make up a story to the customer... (not that an honest guy like me would actually lie now, as you would surely agree...)Instead of saying 20140 was a date from the old Julian calendar, I would have said it was Feb, 01, 2040. So it would be another 20 years 6 months before this very fresh pack of whatever expires.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 01:36:18 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on June 25, 2019, 10:19:54 pmCheese less than a year sounds good, I'll pass on the rest but thanks for offering.Jam in glass jar is probably OK, for anything in a tin god knows how much BPA has leeched into the food by now.

author: awallin
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 05:37:00 am
content: https://xkcd.com/1179/

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 06:32:16 am
content: Quote from: thm_w on June 26, 2019, 01:36:18 amI've re-inserted the context, andhighlightedthe important statement.You appear not to know much about food, and that means you will be missing a lot ofdeliciousfood.In the UK, even the big supermarkets sell things like:Davidstow 3 Year Reserve Cornish Cheese... Unrivalled complexity and character with a robust, crunchy texture ... The ultimate cheddar cheese - a multi-award winning cheddar cheese that is sumptuously intense and full of character. ... Designed to deliver a slightly crunchy texture; this is due to the formation of naturally occurring calcium lactate crystals which are found in high quality aged cheddars. These appear as tiny white spots during maturation which enhance both the character and the mouthfeel of the cheese.Waitrose 1 Hereford 30 day dry aged beef rump steak...To bring out the best in the meat, our 30 Day Dry Aged Hereford beef is wrapped in muslin and hung on the bone in a carefully-controlled, dry environment. The ageing process makes it even more tender, and develops its characteristic rich, almost buttery flavour...Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Speyside Single Malt Whiskyand that's far from the oldestand I can personally attest they are better than their "younger" equivalents, and worth the extra money.I hope I don't need to make the point about fine wines, but you may not know traditional Spanish ham (jamon) hanging up in bars

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 06:36:38 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on June 25, 2019, 11:52:15 pmNot a chance; besides there's no fun to be had with dried mushrooms.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 09:40:50 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on June 25, 2019, 10:19:54 pmThat is what you think but it explains a lot

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 09:48:56 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on June 25, 2019, 10:19:54 pmYes, best before dates are a load of bollocks and should be abolished. Far too much decent food is wasted on them. I know someone where I do voluntary work who won't eat anything even if it's nearing its best before. I've tried to explain to him it's bullshit but he won't listen. It's obviously in his head. Many people are irrational regarding food. It seems to be human nature. I rub the best before dates off any packets of biscuits, tea, coffee etc. to avoid triggering him.The only dates one should take notice of are use by, as it's possible the food will have spoiled after then and might be unsafe to eat, but even then there's normally a fair amount of safety margin, that they will normally be fine a day or so after.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 11:50:06 am
content: Quote from: Zero999 on June 26, 2019, 09:48:56 amI am extremely careful with some foods: those that are wet and/or won't be cooked before eating and/or are at a high risk of being contaminated, or which are known to be toxic. For example, the risks with salads, bacillus cereus, botulism, dried beans, some fungi, and undercooked poultry aren't to be taken lightly.There's no substitute forknowledgeof the risks, both probability and severity.

author: Circlotron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 12:28:40 pm
content: In Australia at least, we have food items labelled either "best before" or "use by".AFAICT if something like biscuits are past it's "best before" it might have just gone stale, i.e. unpleasant but not harmful. If something else e.g. meat or milk is past it's "use by" date then beware!

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 12:44:22 pm
content: Quote from: Circlotron on June 26, 2019, 12:28:40 pmBasically it is the same here in the UK.It is worth noting that even if something is within its best before or use by dates, it can still be very dangerous. Traditionally milk and milk products were and are glaring examples of that - just look at the labels for soft cheese. 40 years ago, one of my relatives was just about to have a large part of his body excised, but fortunately they realised the cause of his year-long malady before that occurred. It was brucellois contracted from "green top" unpasteurised milk. So, don't forget to look at the descriptions of soft cheese in shops:)There's no substitute forknowledgeof the risks, both probability and severity. milk in bottles had different coloured foil seals; plain was for pasteurised, green for unpasteurised, and there were at least two others.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 06:14:08 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on June 26, 2019, 12:44:22 pmUnpasteurised milk isn't widely sold in the UK any more. It think it can only be purchased directly from farms. The risk is minimal as long as it's tested, which I believe all milk is, it's kept refrigerated.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 06:16:55 pm
content: Quote from: Zero999 on June 26, 2019, 06:14:08 pmModern milking machines do all kinds of integrated testing, rejecting problematic milk as it goes.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 06:27:59 pm
content: Quote from: Zero999 on June 26, 2019, 06:14:08 pmUnpasteurised milk is widelyusedfor cheeses, because many claim pasteurisation affects the taste/texture of the cheese.I'm not worried about traditional hard cheeses, since a maturation period of longer than 3 months will kill pathogens. However, that doesn't happen in soft cheeses, hence the warnings that certain people should avoid them.I have no idea what testseverypint undergoes, but I am deeply suspicious that filtering "Cravendale" milk allows higher contamination levels in the cow and milking parlour.

author: richard.cs
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 26, 2019, 10:09:03 pm
content: I normally find that ordinary pasteurised cow's milk from the supermarket lasts 7-8 days if opened when purchased, nearly twice that if left sealed until wanted. I think it's normally sold with dates around three days in the future but to be honest I barely look at them.