How can a box of Raisin Bran set to expire in Aug 2005...

[Placebo]

be as fresh today as a brand new box?

I found it in the back of the pantry and decided to open it and check it out. It wasn't even unopened.

It wasn't even all clumped together in a big block or anything. It was totally fresh and crisp.

This is just weird.

And yeah, I ate a bowl of the stuff.

[Floogeldy]

1. You misread the date.

Get a magnifying glass.

[Placebo]

2. I can read, dammit!

I was also wearing my glasses at the time. B-)

[Floogeldy]

7. Okay.

So, that Raisin Bran shit is full of chemicals designed to preserve dead cells.

Hmmmm . . . .

Can you spell C-A-N-C-E-R?

:smoke:

[Placebo]

10. Yes I can...

I am a smoker, after all. :smoke:

[Jamastiene]

3. I just finished up a a box of Raisin Bran from

about that same time and it tasted the same as any so-called fresh box. It didn't make me sick (unless you count dirty minded as sick, but I was already that before.) No problem. I don't know how it can stay fresh. It could be a combination of right temperature, right conditions, etc. My box had been in the fridge, so I guess that kept it fresher longer.

Edited for Correction:
I asked my aunt who was the one who informed me about the date. It wasn't Raisin Bran, it was Frosted Flakes. Sorry about the error above. Same difference, it was still good even with an old date on it.

[Placebo]

4. Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran...

Apples and oranges. :)

Good to know my box isn't a mutant or possessed by some sort of entity.

[Jamastiene]

6. I really do think it has to do with keeping

any kind of food at the right temperature and in the right conditions. My grandmother kept her pantry closed and made sure no light got in. Apparently light, or really darkness, matters too when it comes to keeping food from going bad.

You are right about the difference not being that big. I still dont really know the difference between raisins and prunes as far as how they are made. Aren't they both grapes that have shriveled up?

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. Prunes are dried plums.

[Jamastiene]

17. That makes sense.

I knew they were something. I just couldn't remember what. Thanks.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

5. As someone who used to live off expired food...

stuff like cereal stays fresh for a really fucking long time after it's expiration date. It's just that if it's expired, it gets stale way faster.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. I'm convinced that for some foods, the expiration date is a hoax

Other things I do notice taste slightly stale flavor after a while.

[Jamastiene]

9. I agree with you, especially because some things

say the expiration date is still days away and they are obviously bad now and some things say the expiration date was a year ago, yet they are still good. I wish they would standardize the expiration date so we wouldn't have to constantly sniff and taste things to see if they are still good. On second thought, I like sniffing and tasting some things, so let's keep it the way it is. :evilgrin:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. My father-in-law kept veggies in his freezer for years

Before he moved, he decided to use them up. The freezer burned had freezer burn on it. He insisted on cooking them, and the whole house wreaked for days. He ate them, too. It's a miracle he didn't get sick.

[Jamastiene]

18. Yeah, freezer burn usually means

I'll rinse it and take a whiff. If it doesn't smell right or it looks like it's turning to mush, I throw it out. If I know it's fresh enough and maybe the bag just wasn't sealed all the way, I'll cook it anyhow if it seems all right.

[Placebo]

12. Totally.

I don't know where they get these expiration dates sometimes.

[mark414]

13. mostly as a cautionary measure

against any liability should someone get sick

the expiration date is always a conservative estimate

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Especially the ones for soda

I've never had soda that tasted spoiled...except from fast-food restaurants!

[Placebo]

16. Yeah!

Soda never dies.

[Jamastiene]

19. And that's just because sometimes they get the

mixture wrong. Usually, they either didn't mix the soda right or they didn't mix it enough. I have always wanted a soda fountain like in restaurants. I drink enough Dr Pepper to actually be able to put one of those to use.