Best Before - advice please?

I found a packet of spice mix marinade in my cupboard, the best before is Nov 05. Is this OK to use? All it is is powder or freeze dried something or other, surely nothing that would go mouldy. I would just buy a new packet but I bought it from a Chinese supermarket and can't seem to find it anymore (the product, not the shop!)Best Before - advice please?
When I came out to Canada in August, I couldn't bring any foodstuff so gave all my store stuff away to family and neighbours. When I went through my herb and spice cupboard, there was stuff in there (that I'd actually been using) from 1992!!! Bay Leaves, Mixed Spice, Season All, Mixed Herbs - that sort of stuff. Amazingly I'm still alive and kicking, The difference was, I never looked at the dates, so I didn't have that niggling doubt in my mind that it MIGHT poison somebody! You know what the date is, so it's up to you. Give it a go. If it smells OK and looks OK, it might be OK! Enjoy!Best Before - advice please?
only think about ur health.
I wouldn't trust it but I am compulsive about stuff even if it is a day old I toss it. But I think it has a date that is over a year so please do not....get the company's name off the package and look it up on the internet maybe you can find more that way and it would be much safer. Things have exp. dates for a reason!
Manufacturers have to put expiration dates on products by law.





It doesn`t necessarily mean that a particular item is gonna explode in your face or become infested by maggots on the following day!





Open it, smell it and find out!





Good luck and happy baking/cooking!





P.S. Did you mean November 2005 or November 5th?!?





Happy Holidays!!!
Things that don't really need a best before date have to have one these days by law, so some of them can be largely ignored. Eating out of date spices is not the same as eating an out of date apple. If they look and smell all right they will be fine, although possibly lacking a little taste.
it could be fine it's just that the company that made it can't guarantee that it will be so if you get ill you can't blame them, my advice would be to not give it to a child or an elderly person as they would find it harder to recover from any poisoning if it is off, and if you do become ill don't throw it away till you recover because if you become so ill you have to go to hospital they would need it to help with diagnoses.
If it is a ';best before'; date this is a guideline for when the product will taste it's best. It does not mean that it will be mouldy or cause any adverse problems. If the product has been stored correctly - ie. in a airtight environment, somewhere dry - then it should be fine. I use herbs that have been freeze dried and have an expired best before date, I just tend to put a tiny bit more in a recipe to allow for a slight loss in flavour.


If it is a ';use by'; date then the product should not be used after that date as this is the maximum time allowed for the product or for one/some of the ingredients contained within it. Using products that are past their use by dates can cause illness.


If you are looking for the product either ask the shop (they may not stock it as it wasn't a big seller for them) alternatively look up the details on the internet.


There are a few good spice websites like www.spice-master.com
it wont hurt you, just wont taste as good as when you bought it


if it had a use by date then you would be better to steer clear,
Sam that spice mix is 13 months old. Would you eat an apple that is 13 months old? No, you wouldn't. Throw it away. There is NOTHING nutricious in there anyway, it's probably full of E numbers and additives etc.
anything with best before on the packet can be used it just wont be has nice, anything with use by you cannot use
I think it would be fine- just make sure no meally worms got in it- they can eat right through the package-D
As my mom said they just put those dates on there to make you bye more. use it it wont hurt you.
It's not going to harm you but it probably not at it's best and doesn't taste as good as it should. Are you a gambler or not?
im sure its ok
spices usually just loses there potency. so it will just taste a little less then if it were fresh, open it up and see if it smells bad if it does then don't use it.
I use out of date spice mixes all the time. Remember spices were used to preserve foods years ago!





Manufacturers put a best before date on packaging to protect themselves more than anything and also because, yes - spices are BEST before a certain time after opening (this doesnt mean the same was WILL KILL YOU AFTER!)





The potency of the spice will not be the same and potentially if there is sugar in the mix it may have attracted some mould in which case bin it, otherwise I think it will be fine.
I wouldn't, you're brave. Good luck.