Best before is a suggestion.
Use by is an instruction, but generally has a 12-24 hour "grace" period.
Don't forget, that the most common food poisoning bacteria is found naturally on 75% (at least) of people, staphylococcus aureus (sp?) and is found around the nose, hair, fingernails etc
In other words, all the places where people wash less often or less vigorously - it's easy to protect against, and even though it reproduces very quickly by binary fission (asexual reproduction of its own DNA) it is quite easy to get rid of simply by following good hygiene when cooking.
Clostridium botulinum (botulism) is a different matter and is a VERY powerfull neuro toxin, which can kill very quickly.
Most sauces and tinned foods are subjected to a "botulinum cook" before being sealed, and if a very rigorous process is not followed, then botulinum will still be present, because it is a spore forming agent, and the spores will not be destroyed unless food is cooked at a minimum temp for a set period (usually 121 degrees C for at least 3 mins) which I assume is what went wrong with the lloyd grossman sauces.
I have RIPHH diplomas in food safety and hygiene - in fact if I do one more I would be qualified as a health inspector.
« Last Edit: Nov 16, 2011 09:42:54 pm by KennyIsKing »
Logged