# Am I a jerk for taking the milk with the latest expiration date? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499 "2004-09-22T15:33:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cards)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/21 "2004-09-22T19:58:35Z")
I get the freshest milk. But it all evens out. I buy the oldest scotch. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/22 "2004-09-22T20:24:37Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > So I stop by the corner convenience store to buy a 12 oz. container of milk for drinking on the way home. I open the cooler door and spy the expiration dates on the column of milk containers. Not surprisingly, the milks in the back have later expiration dates. So I reach way in the back and grab one. I figure the fresher the milk is, the better. > > Here are my questions: > > 1. Was I a greedy, selfish jerk for grabbing the freshest milk? Yes. See explanation on #2 > [@](#): > > 1. Is it wrong (in general) to do this? Yes. I imagine if everyone acted like you businesses would be forced to charge more for milk because a lot more of it would go bad. Driving the milk prices higher just because you want slightly fresher milk is just a tad bit selfish. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/23 "2004-09-22T20:36:18Z")
My father ran a small drive-through dairy store (they’re are a few of them in Southern California). He sold mostly milk, but also soda, bread, beer, cigarettes. Anyway, when a customer asked for milk, we would bring them one from the front with whatever date was on it. Unless the person asked for one with a later date, then we obliged and got a fresher one. Once my father closed the store and started doing his own grocery shopping, he always pulled out fresher milk from the back. Generally, the milk with the shorter expiration dates was either returned or … brought home to his family for their consumption. As we’d tell my dad, “So this milk isn’t good enough to sell to people, but you will make your own family drink it!” At the Los Angeles County Fair, I bought some milk that was just about a day out of the cow. Mmmmm… (It was pasteurized and homogenized) ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/24 "2004-09-22T21:44:03Z")
**Crafter\_Man** , you are not a jerk for selecting milk with the latest expiration date. I have three children and happily buy whatever’s left because once I’ve purchased it the average life of milk can be measured in hours. I buy four gallons at a time, which more than makes up for your 12-ounce fluctuation in the dairy market. The dairy industry, if it’s feeling the pinch, can easily correct for it by making less late-date milk available. So relax, drink up, have some chocolate milk if you want. Only fools would resent your exercising your preference. If you are still wracked with guilt over this, then, just once, drink a bottle of vintage Grade A. If you find that it satisfies, you can change your practices. Just don’t then become an evangelist against dairy ageism in society at large. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/25 "2004-09-23T00:31:27Z")
> [@Rufus Xavier](#): > > Gallon of milk lasts about a week in my house. First one I see, I pick up. As long as the expiration date is at least a week down the road, that one is going in my shopping basket. I don’t have time to paw through all the milk looking for the freshest. I’m the same way, except that a gallon rarely lasts more than 4 days. So what the heck do I need a 12-day expiration date for? I just grab and go. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/26 "2004-09-23T00:41:16Z")
I understood that the date was the “Sell by” date as opposed to “Unfit for human consumption” date. I seem to recall that if kept properly refrigerated, milk should be good for a week after the sell by date. Or did I just imagine that? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/27 "2004-09-23T01:50:38Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > I imagine if everyone acted like you businesses would be forced to charge more for milk because a lot more of it would go bad. Driving the milk prices higher just because you want slightly fresher milk is just a tad bit selfish. Precisely. And that’s why I’m bothered by it, i.e. if _everyone_ did it, milk prices would have to increase. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/28 "2004-09-23T04:06:10Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > I do this with cheese alot. I always grab the packs under the top one because it hasn’t been sitting in the light all day. I so horrible. Actually, with cheese, the older it gets, the better it tastes. (My dad will buy big blocks of the Kraft Cracker Barrel and stick it in the back of the fridge for a few years. Yes, YEARS. Sharp cheddar gets even sharper. It’s absolutely delicious). I don’t think you’re a jerk, **Crafter\_Man**. Unless of course, you go through about five cartons a week, big deal. As long as you don’t stick the later milk in the back, so it gets left behind until it’s out of date. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/29 "2004-09-23T05:30:30Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Yes. See explanation on #2 > > Yes. > > I imagine if everyone acted like you businesses would be forced to charge more for milk because a lot more of it would go bad. Driving the milk prices higher just because you want slightly fresher milk is just a tad bit selfish. Fortunately, most people really don’t care or have reason to care, so _everybody_ won’t be doing it. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/30 "2004-09-23T05:37:02Z")
> [@cards](#): > > I get the freshest milk. > > But it all evens out. > > I buy the oldest scotch. > > 😉 You drink milk and f\*\*king scotch? Somehow a J&B and milk just sound fundamentally wrong in the same glass. :puke smiley: ---
**Author:** ![cards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cards)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/31 "2004-09-23T12:48:54Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > You drink milk and f\*\*king scotch? Somehow a J&B and milk just sound fundamentally wrong in the same glass. :puke smiley: Well, of course J&B and milk is fundamentally wrong. You have to use Glenlivet. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/32 "2004-09-23T13:29:49Z")
I just make sure that the milk I buy is dated at least a week ahead since this is about how long it takes for me to consume a half gallon. Like others, I don’t have time to look for the freshest one, and I also get irritated by waiting for people who are looking for the freshest one to grab their milk and step away from the milk case so I can grab mine and get on with my shopping. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/33 "2004-09-23T13:53:51Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by danceswithcats_ > You drink milk and f\*\*king scotch? Somehow a J&B and milk just sound fundamentally wrong in the same glass. puke smiley: Slight hijack: I used to work for a guy who really _did_ drink milk and scotch (ewwww)! He had an ulcer, and claimed if he mixed his scotch with milk it didn’t bother his ulcer. As to the OP, I don’t think you’re being a selfish jerk. Yes, if _everyone_ did it, it would drive milk prices up; if you’re in other peoples’ way while you’re looking for the freshest milk, that might be jerkish. But, clearly, not everyone buys milk this way. And I posit from the OP that you weren’t in anyone’s way. The way I see it, caveat emptor applies here. The store has offered a selection of milk for sale, and has set the price. All the 12 oz. containers of milk of that brand are the same price; you are being a cautious customer by selecting the one you want. No problem, as far as I can see. As for me, the only time I buy small containers of milk is if I’m out and have my 4-year-old with me; since she prefers chocolate, and the freshness of the milk is not that obvious when it comes to flavored milks, I just grab the one in the front. When it comes to gallons of milk, we go through about six gallons a week in our house, and I buy three at a time, so they don’t have time to go bad. If we were slower about using milk, I’d be choosier. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/34 "2004-09-23T13:55:59Z")
I worked in grocery stores and later in the corporate headquarters of a large supermarket chain. The dairy manager at store level and the corporate dairy buyer knew and expected a certain percentage of people to do this. It wasn’t viewed as wrong or even discouraged any more than lifting up an old head of cabbage with a little wilt on top to get the one under it that didn’t have so much. Guy goes into a car dealership. Says he wants a blue Jetta. Dealer says “Great, I have one.” The guy and the dealer go out to the lot. The dealer shows the guy the Jetta and says. “There she is, only 25,000 miles on her.” The guy says, “Wait, there is one right behind it. How many miles does it have on it and how much is it?” The dealer says, “It costs the same and it only has 10,000 miles on it but we only sell from front to back”. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/35 "2004-09-23T14:06:29Z")
I worked for a grocery store chain for seven years. I can tell you that although it isn’t \*wrong, \* it is annoying. As a retailer, I wanted as few returns as possible. So when people mess up the shelves and take up other peoples’ space just so they can get an extra three days of milk time we get a little cranky. I’ve had customers who were _Offended_ that we put the freshest stuff in back. As I was straightening up the bread section, a lady had me get one from the back of the rack. She actually said, “I’m onto your little tricks!” Yes, she felt we were tricking our customers by this deceptive practice. I had the satisfaction of knowing that all the stuff on the shelf was the same date since I was filling in a section that had been completely emptied. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/36 "2004-09-23T14:07:19Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Yes. > > I imagine if everyone acted like you businesses would be forced to charge more for milk because a lot more of it would go bad. Driving the milk prices higher just because you want slightly fresher milk is just a tad bit selfish. Or imagine that instead of being stuck with milk that would go bad, stores began to order less milk to prevent overstock. Dairies, in an effort to drive milk sales, lower their prices. Milk prices hit an all time low, also affecting the prices of ice cream, cheese, pizza. My grocery bill is cut in half 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/37 "2004-09-23T14:22:16Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > 1. Was I a greedy, selfish jerk for grabbing the freshest milk? > > 2. Is it wrong (in general) to do this? No but you sound like kind of a pussy for even asking. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/38 "2004-09-23T18:35:06Z")
> [@shamrock227](#): > > I do that all the time. I don’t use a lot of milk so a later date gives me longer to use it and less gets wasted. > > Nothing wrong with it that I can see… Absolutely. The people who are shopping for large households who will use a gallon in a couple of days, they can buy the jug that expires at the end of the week. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/39 "2004-09-23T18:59:27Z")
I don’t think your driving up the price of milk by doing this. In fact I find that lately when I look for a later expiration date they often tend to be all the same. I assume that maybe stores had a problem with this and when they get a fresher shipment they leave it in the backroom cooler until the old stuff has sold out. A pretty simple solution if they indeed had a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499/40 "2004-09-23T21:14:18Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I understood that the date was the “Sell by” date as opposed to “Unfit for human consumption” date. I seem to recall that if kept properly refrigerated, milk should be good for a week after the sell by date. > > Or did I just imagine that? Yes, it’s a **“Sell By”** date, not an “Expiration Date” as I have to explain to my husband whenever he goes to the store with me. It should be fresh for a week after that date. As for the OP, I try to buy the fresher stuff, too, and will often reach around to get the milk that is dater later, too, even though a gallon lasts about a day in my house. I buy three gallons at a time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-a-jerk-for-taking-the-milk-with-the-latest-expiration-date/265499.md?page=3)