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What do you think the percentage is of Americans who throws out good food (even junk food) based on the expiration date? I mean - they do so not because the food might be stale but because they believe it suddenly became possibly toxic to eat.
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What's the percentage for non-food stuff like soap? The other day I noticed my liquid hand soap has an expiration date for whatever reason. I better hurry up - I only have two years left of it being safe.
I started thinking about it after I read this...
"Good thing I read the labels and dates before I opened or ate anything. I avoided potential food poisoning and/or a trip to urgent care by paying attention."
It's from an Amazon review. After they checked the label - they learned the package was delivered with an expiration date two weeks past. They are talking about a Ruffles potato chip variety pack.
Why are people buying mountains of food so large that they can't consume them all before a particular date in the first place?
Potato chips are very expensive one bag at a time. If Amazon had variety packs that weren't sketchy and scammy - I might buy one.
This is one of the ways that America is completely alien to me. I could cycle to the supermarket and get a variety 24-pack for the equivalent of $4.09. Buying through Amazon would cost far more.
You monster!
How much potato chips are you eating so this makes sense? Buying a pack a month costs you what, 20 bucks more over 2 years
There are a number of reasons. Personally I do the vast majority of my grocery shopping at a store which is vastly cheaper than local ones, but which is over 30 min drive away, in the opposite direction of where I work. Hence it makes sense to buy a couple weeks worth of groceries whenever I do get there. And I know many people who live in much more remote areas than I do. So that requires a lot of discipline and forward planning.