Getting used to new habits for Coronavirus....

[Miss B]

I've found most things I buy, like say a loaf of bread, have a "sell by" date, not an expiration date for eating. I believe that means it won't be all that fresh after that date.

Of course, there might be some foods that actually state not to eat after a certain date, so it's better to eat them before that date..

 

[Hornet3d]

I've found most things I buy, like say a loaf of bread, have a "sell by" date, not an expiration date for eating. I believe that means it won't be all that fresh after that date.

Of course, there might be some foods that actually state not to eat after a certain date, so it's better to eat them before that date..

Not sure about elsewhere but in the UK meat products tend to one of two dates sell buy and use buy, some have both. I addition on sliced meat and such they normally state that the meat should be eaten within three days of opening the pack. I guess there is probably some lee way on both dates but I will not eat anything after the use by date mainly because I have a very sensitive stomach after a campylobacter infection some years ago. I would not wish that on my worst enemy so clearly I am in no hurry to repeat the occurrence. I am nowhere near so strict when it comes to use by dates.

 

[Alisa]

Of course, if you have a freezer, you can freeze many things.

 

[Hornet3d]

Of course, if you have a freezer, you can freeze many things.

Very true and and a boon for those who are taking the government advice which in the UK is for the at risk group to self isolate for ten weeks or more. Even those with symptoms need to stock up with at least a fortnight worth of food so clearly there will be more demand on supermarkets. That said I am not sure those with three trolley loads of food have a real idea of how big their fridge is or what to do if it won't all go in.

 

[DanaTA]

10 weeks? Who can fit that much food into the refrigerator? I have a very big one, but I don't know about 10 weeks of meats and fruits and veggies. Plus things like milk, which won't last 10 weeks! And I don't care what the date is on the milk bottle. Once you open it, all bets are off. Same thing for anything that is sold sealed. You may be able to buy it the day of the date, but once you open it...it starts to go and you've only got so long before it's past its usefulness.

Dana

 

[Alisa]

They're talking about the MOST at-risk people. In many places, you can have food delivered. Family, friends and neighbors can get food for those who have to self-isolate or are more at risk. You can also survive without some of the foods you usually have, or substitute something else.

 

[Miss B]

10 weeks? Who can fit that much food into the refrigerator?

I believe what Alisa and Hornet were talking about were standalone freezers, which hold a lot. I live in an apartment, so all I have is the freezer portion of my refrigerator, which certainly can't hold that amount of food. Folks with private homes can often have the large freezers for storing a lot of food.

 

[Pendraia]

Stay safe everyone, especially if you are in a high risk group.

 

[Miss B]

Hey stranger, good to see you. I hope all is well with you, and yours.

 

[DanaTA]

I believe what Alisa and Hornet were talking about were standalone freezers, which hold a lot. I live in an apartment, so all I have is the freezer portion of my refrigerator, which certainly can't hold that amount of food. Folks with private homes can often have the large freezers for storing a lot of food.

We have a private home, but we don't have one of those, nor the money to buy one, or room to put one.

Dana

 

[Miss B]

Oh I'm sure most private home owners don't have one, but if someone does, it's in a private home, and not an apartment.

 

[Hornet3d]

10 weeks? Who can fit that much food into the refrigerator? I have a very big one, but I don't know about 10 weeks of meats and fruits and veggies. Plus things like milk, which won't last 10 weeks! And I don't care what the date is on the milk bottle. Once you open it, all bets are off. Same thing for anything that is sold sealed. You may be able to buy it the day of the date, but once you open it...it starts to go and you've only got so long before it's past its usefulness.

Dana

They're talking about the MOST at-risk people. In many places, you can have food delivered. Family, friends and neighbors can get food for those who have to self-isolate or are more at risk. You can also survive without some of the foods you usually have, or substitute something else.

I should clarify, here in the UK if you show signs of the virus the advice is you and the rest of your family should self isolate for a period of 14 days. The other recommendation is that those who are elderly (over 70) or have underlying health issues should self isolate for ten or maybe fourteen weeks. They do accept you may need to go shopping but it should be avoided if possible. Walking it acceptable as long as you stay at least two meters away from anyone else. Underlying health issues is defined as anyone who has a one or more for the conditions that the health services advises you to have the flu virus every year. Thats includes diabetes, heart, liver or kidney problems, reduced immunity and such long term conditions. The reason is simple, these are the group of people who are most likely to need hospital intensive care with the higher possibility of death. The attempt is to delay the increase in those needing such scarce health interventions in order for the health service to cope.

In the UK it is not uncommon for people to have standalone chest freezers often located in the garage and some could easily fit a couple of people in them (guess how we know). Such size freezers could indeed keep enough food for a couple to last for ten weeks or more. Products such as milk might be and issue but it is possible to buy longlife milk today with a use by date somewhere in August of this year. Powdered potato mash lasts even longer while part baked bread will be find for about four weeks. I know because we have a couple of each around this time of year in case of heavy snow as these days I do not take the car off the driveway if it has been snowing heary

 

[KageRyu]

I have heard expiration dates are suggestions and not hard and fast. Even still I try to eat things before they expire or throw them away.

This is generally true. A lot of things can affect food spoilage and items may last longer or even spoil faster. I used to keep a very cold fridge, and milk would come out long enough to pour only, and so often would still be good many days past it's sell by date.

 

[Hornet3d]

Considering we are only at the start of this virus outbreak there are some very worrying signs. Having done some DIY over the last couple of weeks my wife and I did an early morning run to the local recycling centre to get rid of stuff we had replaced and the off cuts of wood left over. Due to roadworks there is only one logical route which happens to take us past three of our local supermarkets. This is between 07.30 and 08.00 and at every supermarket they customers are struggling to find parking spaces as they are all almost full to capacity. This remember is on top of all the supermarket delivery slots being booked for the coming three weeks. We decide not to join the masses and return home in the hope people will either come to their senses or run out of money or places to store their purchases. Later in the morning we call our neighbours to see if they are OK, thankfully they are but one who is 86 is a little unsettled. Turns out she was shopping at one of the said supermarkets and there is quickly a one and half hour queue at the checkouts. Then a fight breaks out after one customer takes toilet roll out of another customer's trolley. Security has to be called, she was not sure what happened after that but hopefully both customers were shown the door.

There is so much uncertainty, I know it is troubling but one thing is as certain as it can be, we are just at the start and this will get worse before it gets better. These are not good signs.

 

[DanaTA]

Oh I'm sure most private home owners don't have one, but if someone does, it's in a private home, and not an apartment.

Actually, I spoke with one of my nephews the other day, his family lives in an apartment...and he said he has one of those freezers. Don't know how, but he does. So, I guess others in apartments may have one. Not very many, though. Most apartments aren't big enough.

Dana

 

[Miss B]

That may be true, but I was thinking more of the accidents that can happen, like leaking through the floor to the apartment below. Someone living on the first floor of the building wouldn't have as big an issue if repairs to their floor had to be done. If there's damage to the apartment below, then there's an issue I wouldn't want to deal with. Of course, good apartment/co-op/condo insurance can cover the cost of repairs, but still the resident in the floor below surely wouldn't be pleased.

I also think there are more than one size to those standalone freezers, so someone in an apartment may be able to get one that's not that large, so less chance of an issue.

 

[Dragonsegg]

Those freezers are actually very cheap or were when we bought ours, 5 cubic feet, about 2 years ago. It was 139 USD. Now it appears they are all out of stock like almost everything though. but we got the cheapest no frills one to freeze produce from our garden and it has wokred out remarkably well. It is not a frost free one but we still haven't had to defrost it and it seems to actually keep food fresher than our refrigerator freezer.

 

[DanaTA]

Those freezers are actually very cheap or were when we bought ours, 5 cubic feet, about 2 years ago. It was 139 USD. Now it appears they are all out of stock like almost everything though. but we got the cheapest no frills one to freeze produce from our garden and it has wokred out remarkably well. It is not a frost free one but we still haven't had to defrost it and it seems to actually keep food fresher than our refrigerator freezer.

That's probably because you don't open it as often.

Dana

 

[Stezza]

 

[Satira Capriccio]

Amazing how easy it is to understand that paragraph. I think even without the explanation, I could have worked it out.