Cod liver oil, Best before 2008. Should I?

[FreeLitres]

I have just read that taking lots of fish oil can help speed up the healing of my knee injury. I have just ordered some high quality fish oils and delivery will take about a week.

However, I just found an unopened tub of cod liver oil tablets at the back of the cupboard, best before 2008.

What do you recon?

[DrDeAtH]

What's the worst that could happen? The sts?

[jas xjr]

You can preserve things in oil,so you should be OK.

[Leptons]

The capsules containing the oil will be made of gelatin or something. That's all I have to add really.

[castex]

Don't chew it. That's what they told me to do.

[iva cosworth]

"Best before" not "Use by".

Some best befores can be used years later.

Don't blame me if you die.

[anonymous-user]

I am currently using milk, best before the 6th August, so 10 days old. Still tastes pretty fresh, not died yet. Best before dates are just a con to get you to buy new stuff, i have eaten mouldy bread and still ticking on.

[FreeLitres]

The Spruce goose said:

I am currently using milk, best before the 6th August, so 10 days old. Still tastes pretty fresh, not died yet. Best before dates are just a con to get you to buy new stuff, i have eaten mouldy bread and still ticking on.

To some extent I agree, but a product being 10 days past it's best before isn't quite the same as being 2,700 days past.

I think I'm going to bin them. I will give a prayer to all those brave fish that heroically gave up their innards in the mistaken believe that they will be improving the health of a human.

[Mr-B]

A mate quite often gives me his out of date food items, his missus is anal about use by dates and must be of the firm belief that food becomes poisonous once midnight ticks by on a use by date. He's been giving me these castoffs for years and she is aware of this but still hasn't clicked that I haven't died of food poisoning (yet) or even ever had a bad case of the squits.

[Troubleatmill]

World of difference between BEST BEFORE and USE BY and SELL BY ( I don't think it is still used )


Mrs T is in the food trade.

Things I would immediately bin - as it is past "BEST BEFORE' by quite some time - she looks at and goes - nope - still perfectly good.

[anonymous-user]

Mr-B said:

A mate quite often gives me his out of date food items, his missus is anal about use by dates and must be of the firm belief that food becomes poisonous once midnight ticks by on a use by date. He's been giving me these castoffs for years and she is aware of this but still hasn't clicked that I haven't died of food poisoning (yet) or even ever had a bad case of the squits.

The thing is the more older food you eat, your body becomes better accustoimed to it, so you won't die.

Chicken used to be be a great scam, old chicken was bleached and you couldn't tell any difference and resold, do think many epople would nottice as once it cooked wouldn't do too much damage.

[soad]

To be honest, unlikely to cause you a lot of harm but it won't do you any good either - bin them and get some new ones.

Or phone your pharmacist/doctor.

[AB]

I understood the best before dates on medication etc was a date they were guaranteed to be at their optimum.

I took painkillers that were a few years out of date on the advice of a doctor. He said they'd be fine but couldn't guarantee they'd be as potent (right word?) as when they were 'in date'. I imagine this is the same thing?