Fermented bean curd expiration. Safe to eat?
September 16, 2020 6:09 PM Subscribe
I bought some fermented bean curd today, brought it home, was excited to try it, had a small piece (half a cube), and then noticed that the expiration date is in 2017 -- three years ago.
This is my first time having it, so I don't know what it's supposed to taste like. It's salty and the smell is pungent but not altogether off-putting. The color is a white-yellow for the brine; the soy cubes are white.
Is it Ok to eat? What would be a sign that it has gone bad? How would I know from the taste that it's not good?
This is my first time having it, so I don't know what it's supposed to taste like. It's salty and the smell is pungent but not altogether off-putting. The color is a white-yellow for the brine; the soy cubes are white.
Is it Ok to eat? What would be a sign that it has gone bad? How would I know from the taste that it's not good?
The FDA encourages these dates to be labeled 'best if used by'. The date is a discretionary guess about quality, not food safety.
A safe and sealed jar of pickles never becomes unsafe if the container is intact, nor does a properly canned tin of fish. Indeed according to the USDA "most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely".
I can find no evidence of sealed fermented bean curd ever becoming unsafe due to passage of time. Indeed many sources say it remains good for several years after being opened, if covered and stored in the fridge.
Return it or throw it out if you like, but please don't propagate misinformation about food labeling.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:22 PM on September 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
A safe and sealed jar of pickles never becomes unsafe if the container is intact, nor does a properly canned tin of fish. Indeed according to the USDA "most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely".
I can find no evidence of sealed fermented bean curd ever becoming unsafe due to passage of time. Indeed many sources say it remains good for several years after being opened, if covered and stored in the fridge.
Return it or throw it out if you like, but please don't propagate misinformation about food labeling.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:22 PM on September 16, 2020 [5 favorites]
For whatever it's worth, that color/taste/texture description sounds right. I'm not saying it is safe to eat, but it's not like any of those details is an immediate red flag.
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:25 PM on September 16, 2020
posted by nebulawindphone at 9:25 PM on September 16, 2020
fermented bean curd? if I'm thinking of what you're describing (ie Chinese condiment) - I've had that stuff, opened, in the fridge for years. I thought the whole point was that it doesn't go bad? you've only just opened it? I'd eat it, happily.
posted by wym at 12:48 AM on September 17, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by wym at 12:48 AM on September 17, 2020 [2 favorites]
Are you completely sure that (1) it's an expiration date (not a manufacture/sealing date) and (2) it's in the date format you think it is? I've occasionally been thrown by a date like 20/10/16 on Japanese packaged foods, for instance (it's 16th October 2020, not 20th October 2016).
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:11 AM on September 17, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:11 AM on September 17, 2020 [4 favorites]
I would want to have a serious chat with the store. The food might be perfectly safe, but I'd be having trust issues with the seller.
posted by theora55 at 5:01 AM on September 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 5:01 AM on September 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. For my own safety, I'm probably going to just toss/compost it.
To answer a few questions: Yes it says "expiration" and not "best by." Yes the date is YYYY/MM/DD. Yes this is the Japanese condiment. Funny, that part of the packaging is clearer than anything else I can think of that I purchase regularly. I guess I don't look at expiration dates on *anything*. It's just assumed to be good.
I do want to try bean curd again. I'll probably try a different brand next time just to get a comparison. It might also be a good idea to have a talk with that seller.
posted by mr_bovis at 6:30 AM on September 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
To answer a few questions: Yes it says "expiration" and not "best by." Yes the date is YYYY/MM/DD. Yes this is the Japanese condiment. Funny, that part of the packaging is clearer than anything else I can think of that I purchase regularly. I guess I don't look at expiration dates on *anything*. It's just assumed to be good.
I do want to try bean curd again. I'll probably try a different brand next time just to get a comparison. It might also be a good idea to have a talk with that seller.
posted by mr_bovis at 6:30 AM on September 17, 2020 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by stray thoughts at 6:29 PM on September 16, 2020 [11 favorites]