I’m still getting mentally unpacked from a fabulous West Coast swing. (Thanks to all who came out to one event or another.) While I was away, I didn’t have the chance to pass along a link to this New York Times piece on expiration dates.
It was neat to see such a major newspaper address the absurdity of expiration dates (albeit in a soft newsy section). Also, to have The Times give voice to the some of the logic I’ve long held. For example, this one from Bridget Lancaster, host of PBS’ America’s Test Kitchen:
We have five senses that were given to us that are the best tools for finding out whether food has gone bad.
And it was nice to see the author, Bruce Feiler, affirm what I’d long heard: that infant formula is the only product with federally-mandated expiration dates.
It’s certainly worth reading, but I didn’t love the ending (even if I understood why he went with it). After downplaying the health risks of items at or past their expiration dates, Feiler capitulates at the end:
Therein lies the truth of a well-kept kitchen: the health of your food is far less important than the health of your marriage.
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Also, in case you wanted a glimpse of my kitchen and compost bin–here’s your chance:
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