# Goodbye cruel world! I've eaten an expired Altoid **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 18, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784 "2008-05-18T20:10:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/21 "2022-07-02T06:04:23Z")
This OP was slightly more exciting to read before I noticed that this is a zombie thread. Hello Waffle and welcome to the Straight Dope! I’m pretty sure that I’ve eaten candy that was older than you are now when I ate it. Still here to tell the tale. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/22 "2022-07-02T06:43:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > This OP was slightly more exciting to read before I noticed that this is a zombie thread. True, it’s a zombie. But I’m still interested in what a very recent poster meant by: > [@Waffle](#): > > Also there’s so many untaken usernames I am totally abusing this sorry not sorry. It just seems odd. I don’t get it. What can you do with “untaken usernames”? Especially when there are more “untaken usernames” here than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of Earth combined. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/23 "2022-07-02T06:48:35Z")
Hey hey, learned colleagues, go a little easy on the 14-year-old newbie, yeah? No need to go maximum SDMB on them right from the get-go. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SmartBulbInc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@SmartBulbInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartBulbInc)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/24 "2022-07-02T06:54:30Z")
Correct me if i’m wrong, but, at least in the case of the USA, aren’t expired labels just included for separate legal reasons and do not actually show when a food becomes unhealthy to eat? It is, after all, a “best by” date and not a “discard date.” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/25 "2022-07-02T07:24:13Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > there are more “untaken usernames” here than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of Earth combined But if you _combine_ all the grains of sand, there’s only one. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/26 "2022-07-02T14:21:34Z")
> [@SmartBulbInc](#): > > Correct me if i’m wrong, but, at least in the case of the USA, aren’t expired labels just included for separate legal reasons and do not actually show when a food becomes unhealthy to eat? It is, after all, a “best by” date and not a “discard date.” Pretty much. A lot of labels are actually “sell by” dates, not “eat by” dates. My personal rule of thumb is that most refrigerated foods are good for 5-7 days after the date, as long as they’ve been kept properly cold. For candy and such-like, an item may go stale some time after the listed date, but it doesn’t really go bad. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/27 "2022-07-02T14:54:05Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > My personal rule of thumb is that most refrigerated foods are good for 5-7 days after the date, as long as they’ve been kept properly cold. Best-by dates are generally conservative, but there are caveats. One is that it very much depends on the temperature of the refrigerator – “refrigerated” is not scientifically meaningful. Being a bit skittish about such things, I keep my refrigerator just barely above freezing. I sometimes get ice crystals when I open a can of Coke. But OTOH, I can take out a package of sliced ham that I bought a week ago and it still smells as fresh and smoky as the day it was sliced. The other caveat is that some things can be pushed well beyond their stated expiry dates but other things not so much. I’m fine with eggs that are as much as two weeks beyond their expiry date, but I’m much more careful about raw meats, and hypersensitive about raw fish. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/28 "2022-07-02T15:40:56Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > But if you _combine_ all the grains of sand, there’s only one. There can be only one, sure, if you do that, but I don’t think immortal highlander sands have expiration dates. They’re “either or” ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/29 "2022-07-02T15:48:05Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > I think you should be more worried about this. Just imagine how many other people must have eaten expired Altoids in the intervening 14 years, but NONE of them lived long enough to post their stories. I don’t think we have heard from **Tamex** in a while. Too early to declare victory, **Waffle**. We do have a ‘In Memoriam’ thread, so you have that going for you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/30 "2022-07-02T15:55:59Z")
Actually, we haven’t heard from Waffle since his initial post, either. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2022, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/31 "2022-07-02T16:39:07Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Hey hey, learned colleagues, go a little easy on the 14-year-old newbie, yeah? You are right about taking it easy on a new, young poster. I just found what they said a little suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/32 "2022-07-03T14:53:55Z")
> [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](#): > > > [@Waffle](#): > > > > Also there’s so many untaken usernames I am totally abusing this sorry not sorry. ⁢ > > It just seems odd. I don’t get it. What can you do with “untaken usernames”? Especially when there are more “untaken usernames” here than there are grains of sand on all the beaches of Earth combined. ⁢ I would interpret this as them saying that most places they sign up for, the name “Waffle” is already taken. I also was a bit surprised no one had signed up with that name before. Waffles are a bit of a meme online. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/33 "2022-07-03T18:00:02Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The other caveat is that some things can be pushed well beyond their stated expiry dates but other things not so much. I’m fine with eggs that are as much as two weeks beyond their expiry date, but I’m much more careful about raw meats, and hypersensitive about raw fish I’ve eaten eggs months after their expiry date. I use fresh eggs if I’m going to whip them, or eat them undercooked. But for muffins? If they look okay and smell okay, in they go. Yes, i do break my eggs into a separate dish before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Raw meat and raw fish look, feel, and smell off when they get older. A you say, fish spoils especially fast, but it’s also especially obvious about having spoiled. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/34 "2022-07-03T20:13:46Z")
I go with the smell test. If you can get your nose close to something, it’s usually okay. If it’s bad, you can tell 12 inches away. I always smell milk before I use it. I drank spoiled milk ONCE. Now I’m OCD about sniffing milk. Raw chicken, when fresh, stinks. It’s even a little slimy. But there is absolutely no question when it is BAD. When in doubt, throw it out. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/35 "2022-07-03T20:29:03Z")
Altoids do lose their potency, starting when you take the plastic wrap off of the tin. I go through one or two mints a day, and I can definitely feel the difference when I start on a new tin. That said, even old Altoids are still refreshingly minty, just not burn-a-hole-through-your-mouth minty. I’m not sure if the relevant factor is leakage through the seam of the tin, or the number of times the tin has been opened. If the latter, then a closed-but-not-sealed tin of Altoids might stay fresh and “curiously strong” for much longer. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/36 "2022-07-03T20:32:47Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > Raw chicken, when fresh, stinks. It’s even a little slimy When I buy the local chicken that was just slaughtered, it’s not slimy. But yeah, it gets slimy long before it’s bad to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2022, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/37 "2022-07-03T20:36:57Z")
Expired Altoids _and_ expired lip balm? 😬 Hard way to go, man. Hard way to go. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/38 "2022-07-04T02:29:34Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > I drank spoiled milk ONCE. Now I’m OCD about sniffing milk. Sour milk is just immature cheese. It is quite common where I live, (South Africa) and is sold in supermarkets in cartons just like fresh milk. I think the reason is lactose intolerance, which is fairly common here. I drink it because I like the taste. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/39 "2022-07-04T02:37:19Z")
I have to admit, if Waffle is only going to poster here once he made the perfect post. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2022, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784/40 "2022-07-04T17:05:28Z")
Warning: never, I mean never eat old Rolaids. Not good. At. All. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/goodbye-cruel-world-ive-eaten-an-expired-altoid/449784.md?page=1)