# Poll: How picky are you about food left in the fridge? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694 "2006-01-19T18:50:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/1 "2006-01-19T18:50:53Z")
If there is a food item that’s been sitting in the fridge, and you’re not sure how long it’s been there, do you go ahead and eat it, if it doesn’t look in too bad a shape? Also, would you use a gadget that helped you figure out if a particular food item in the fridge was OK to eat? ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/2 "2006-01-19T20:06:07Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > If there is a food item that’s been sitting in the fridge, and you’re not sure how long it’s been there, do you go ahead and eat it, if it doesn’t look in too bad a shape? Only if it has a use-by date on it that’s not expired. Otherwise, I ask Mr. Neville if he knows how long it’s been in the fridge (he’s much more aware of these things than I am). If he doesn’t remember putting it in the fridge either, out it goes. Anything with an expired date on the package, unless that date was in the past week, doesn’t get eaten, regardless of what it looks or smells like. I come from a family where checking expiration dates on stuff in the fridge was a crucial survival skill. I got very sick when I was 15 when I ate some mayonnaise out of my parents’ fridge without checking the date. It turned out to be six months out of date. I don’t recommend that anyone play refrigerater roulette with stuff in my fridge, either. Last week, I found a carton of milk that was dated October 25. I’m really not sure how we managed to overlook something that big for all that time, but there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/3 "2006-01-19T20:13:25Z")
I’m very picky about most food items in the fridge. I throw a lot of stuff out (or, now, compost a lot of stuff, which makes me feel better.) Even things that look okay sometimes. I often bring leftovers home and don’t eat them because I think it’s been too long, even though other people might not. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/4 "2006-01-19T20:15:18Z")
1. Never eat cheese from my parents’ fridge. Just trust me on this one. They never bother checking expiration dates. The almost-year-old parmesan will attest to that. 2. Chinese food being left in the fridge for over 2 months is BAD. As is the puddle of sweet and sour sauce on the bottom of the fridge, gluing the fridge drawer shut. Even worse is leaving this for your roommate to clean out (it was my fridge; I had to get that crap out of there, rather than leaving it for the month-long break the fridge would be unplugged). ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/5 "2006-01-19T20:18:32Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > If there is a food item that’s been sitting in the fridge, and you’re not sure how long it’s been there, do you go ahead and eat it, if it doesn’t look in too bad a shape? > > Also, would you use a gadget that helped you figure out if a particular food item in the fridge was OK to eat? I’m a 3-day girl. My husband will eat it as long as it hasn’t invited itself to the table. I’d adore a gadget like that, but the food would still have to look ok. Ugly food is out. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/6 "2006-01-19T20:23:12Z")
If the package isn’t swollen, there’s no fuzz on it, and it smells okay, it’s probably okay. If it’s way past the kill date, though, it’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/7 "2006-01-19T20:26:14Z")
> [@monica](#): > > 1. Never eat cheese from my parents’ fridge. Just trust me on this one. They never bother checking expiration dates. The almost-year-old parmesan will attest to that. I can beat that. I got a can of parmesan from my grandmother’s fridge once, and it looked and tasted funny. It turned out to be **five years** past its expiration date. My fridge hasn’t gotten that bad, but that’s mainly because I haven’t lived in one place for five years since I moved out of my parents’ house. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/8 "2006-01-19T20:30:50Z")
> [@Polerius](#): > > If there is a food item that’s been sitting in the fridge, and you’re not sure how long it’s been there, do you go ahead and eat it, if it doesn’t look in too bad a shape? > > Also, would you use a gadget that helped you figure out if a particular food item in the fridge was OK to eat? Yeah, I’m not too picky about such things. As long as it smells OK and isn’t green or anything I’m good with it. If it is mushy and shouldn’t be I’ll throw it out. I wouldn’t use such a gadget as you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/9 "2006-01-19T20:33:05Z")
I usually regard anything older than a couple of days with suspicion. I can’t cite, but I’ve heard that many cases of “stomach flu” are actually bacterial infections as a result of eating tainted leftovers. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/10 "2006-01-19T22:18:11Z")
You mean there are actually people who don’t know how long a given item has been in their fridge?? :eek: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/11 "2006-01-19T23:01:45Z")
I’m just this week throwing out a bunch of old bottles that have been in the door of my fridge for I don’t know how many years (that’s not an exaggeration). And I’m only doing it because all that weight is causing the fridge door to swing shut instead of staying open. And I have a degree in microbiology. ---
**Author:** ![xbuckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9e8a1a/32.png) [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/12 "2006-01-19T23:10:53Z")
When in doubt…throw it out. There is no such thing as the stomach flu. Congratulations…you just got food poisoning! I consider the source and the food and then consider the reheating method. A soup that can be boiled for 10 minutes gets to stay. Dairy goes by its sell by date (I’m a milk snob). Cheese lasts forever in an intact package. I also consider the cost of the foodstuff. If you paid less than 50c for it…it just is not worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/13 "2006-01-19T23:16:03Z")
If it smells and looks OK, I’ll eat it. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/14 "2006-01-19T23:18:10Z")
I’m fine with throwing out stuff with dates. WRT leftovers, though, I’ll eat anything with no mold growing on it. My wife differs, radically, and it led to a discussion: is the date on a gallon of milk the “sell by” date (ie, it’s good for another week after that), or the “use by” date? And we just had a refrigerator malfunction, which led to many more discussions… ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/15 "2006-01-19T23:26:06Z")
Nothing sits in my fridge for very long these days, but I’ve always followed the simple rule that if it looks good, smells good and tastes good, it’s good. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/16 "2006-01-19T23:30:11Z")
Dates are irrelevent. I go by smell, texture, taste and appearance. I cook food thoroughly, and I have a wide selection of spices and herbs, and an adventurous spirit when cooking. Food has to be pretty far gone for me to throw it all out. Even then, if I leave a raw chicken out overnight (which I have) that’s not enough to get me to toss it. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/17 "2006-01-19T23:45:58Z")
> [@Askia](#): > > I go by smell, texture, taste and appearance. My allergies mean I generally don’t have enough sense of smell to do the sniff test. And I’m _not_ tasting it unless I know it’s good, or it’s something I need for a recipe that I’ve already started and the alternative is running to the grocery store to replace whatever it is. And the latter would apply only to something that I had a reasonable idea might still be good (like milk eight days after the sell-by date). > [@](#): > > if I leave a raw chicken out overnight (which I have) that’s not enough to get me to toss it. :eek: > [@Misnomer](#): > > You mean there are actually people who don’t know how long a given item has been in their fridge?? I have pretty much no idea what’s in my fridge unless I am looking in it. Maybe I’ll remember putting something in there last night, but my memory and sense of time are so laughably bad that I’m unlikely to know how long something has been in the fridge unless it got there very recently, or something out of the ordinary happened on the day it did get in there. I generally couldn’t tell you what I had for dinner a week ago, or more than about a day or two ago for that matter. (But I could tell you lots of generally-irrelevant-but-interesting facts about history and other subjects!) ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/18 "2006-01-19T23:49:32Z")
Somewhat picky. If anything has been there for awhile, or I am the least bit uncertain about, I toss it. Milk stays for awhile because I go by a combination of smell and date, and what is old can be used in baking that call for sour milk. Sandwich meats, the instant they look the least bit slimey they go. If anything doesn’t look quite like it should look, it gets tossed. I’d really rather not get food poisoning. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/19 "2006-01-19T23:49:48Z")
> [@Anne Neville](#): > > :eek: In my defense, until recently I lived alone and would never pass this off to anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694/20 "2006-01-20T01:28:04Z")
Not very picky. I go by sight and smell more than dates. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-how-picky-are-you-about-food-left-in-the-fridge/340694.md?page=2)