I just found 4-5 cheese tortellini with dark/moldy spots in an open, but refrigerated bag that was supposed to be good well into December. With food prices these days, I’m kinda salty about it.
Not every store has such a great policy as TJ’s has, with returns no questions asked.
Yes, our most local supermarket habitually keeps their refrigerated cases too warm (I assume for thrift), so buying dairy there is a crap shoot that I do not indulge in anymore.
Tortellini (like several other refrigerated items) are normally (Rana ?) stored in MAPs which obviously change when you open them. The “best before date” for those items works only when they are unopened.
Once you open the bag, doesn’t it say you need to use up the contents within a certain number of days (like 2-3)? Did they go off before that time?
Unfortunately, a lot of products in North America don’t have that labeling.
I noticed my Italian canned tomatoes mention using them within 5 days once they’re open and refrigerated.
I notice it more on British and European imports.
I’m often googling to see how long something stays good enough to eat.
Most recently, I was asking about a jar of opened applesauce. 7 to 10 days.
Only recently, I have noticed some whipping cream / heavy cream mentions using the open cream within 7 to 10 days. I never knew that before. I have had whipping cream that was opened go moldy before it’s best before date, but it probably had been open in the fridge for 2 weeks.
I have had packaged produce go bad before the best before date. I also purchased duck that was bad before the best before date. I assume it wasn’t refrigerated properly at some point before I got it.
I’ve occasionally had whole milk go bad by the best-before date. Also, pita bread.
I tossed the bag, but I will look next time I’m at the supermarket.
Strangely enough (likely thanks to a million preservatives etc.), cream lasts here for about a thousand years, whereas any dairy product we buy in Berlin goes bad within a few days.
Most cream in the US is unfortunately ultrapasteurized
Yup. That’s why. I don’t mind it much, since I mostly use it for cooking. Beats wanting to use cream bought 3 days ago that’s gone bad in the meantime.
