# Use By Date- Salt **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2008, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663 "2008-02-07T12:23:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/21 "2008-02-08T14:54:21Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Some things can wash the savour from salt while it remains in situ: underground rivers, for one. [/QUOTE] Cite, please? How does that happen, exactly, unless the sodium chloride is washed out of the formation, leaving non-sodium chloride deposits behind? In which case, the salt isn’t “losing its savour,” it’s simply being washed away. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/22 "2008-02-08T15:07:54Z")
Sometimes, one of my kids will pick up a bottle of water from the counter and ask, “Is this water old?” To which I invariably reply, “Yeah, about 4 and a half billion years old.” ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/23 "2008-02-08T20:24:33Z")
[QUOTE=j666] Actually, no, I don’t get this. There was a Master List of all reagents, and MSDSs on file. Those MSDSs had **NFPA** ratings; the hard copies should have had the rating high-lighted. The reagents should have been classified in ascending order of the Health Rating. What did management decide to do? Classify them in alphabetical order? Oh, for the OP: the manufacturer’s probably based the ‘Use by’ date on stability data for the container. [/QUOTE] Without getting too involved in the deficiencies of that lab; The fact is no one was taking the time to look up the MSDSs (which often were only available in English, and all typed differently to make it annoying to find the same info on each version from different suppliers). People get remarkably lazy and complacent when they work with chemicals for a long time. Seeing out PPE, or ordering more when we ran out of something, seemed to be beyond most people’s abilities :rolleyes: H&S decided that they wanted a simple, quick reference list of Drug/Reagent, Category, Effects of Exposure/Known toxicity, and Appropriate PPE. So _until the person making the table got to that item on the list_ the new list/table they were making had a default worst-case-scenario of 4. It was a place holder, but it was still pretty damn funny. Also; consider the fact that for a 700+ employee company, the H&S department really only consisted of 2 people. Many (most) H&S issues were left to the individual departments within the company, making the whole thing inefficient and, frankly, unsafe. I had major issues with their approach to pretty much everything, but the 2 people never had time/resources to ever actually DO anything to resolve any issues. I don’t work there anymore, and I don’t intend to ever go back (though that’s mostly for other reasons). ---
**Author:** ![shefDave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/77aa72/32.png) [@shefDave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shefDave)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/24 "2008-02-08T20:54:00Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] > [@Colophon](#): > > Because it’s a “food product” as defined by whatever law covers these things, and food products have to have use-by dates. AFAIK, the longest shelf life a food can legally have is 3 years, regardless of how many millennia it has been lying around before being put in a packet. > > In other words, ignore it and enjoy your lovely salt. Provide a citation to a law or regulation that requires this, please. [/QUOTE] That may be tricky as it seems to be something which varies by state: > [@](#): > > Except for infant formula and some baby food (see below), product dating is not generally required by Federal regulations. > … > There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating in the United States. Although dating of some foods is required by more than 20 states, there are areas of the country where much of the food supply has some type of open date and other areas where almost no food is dated. Source: [US Dept of Agriculture](http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Food_Product_Dating/index.asp) WAG: Maybe to allow foods to easily be sold nationwide some manufacturers just go with whichever state has the most stringent requirements? ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/25 "2008-02-08T21:42:41Z")
And, as noted, maybe salt isn’t dated in response to a law or regulation, but rather in order to appear as if it is “fresh.” ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/26 "2008-02-08T22:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=mnemosyne] Without getting too involved in the deficiencies of that lab; The fact is no one was taking the time to look up the MSDSs (which often were only available in English, and all typed differently to make it annoying to find the same info on each version from different suppliers). … [/QUOTE] Not to completely hijack the thread, I’ve worked in lots of labs, and I invariably end up taking over the MSDSs, because no one ever manages them well. BUT, at almost every place I’ve worked, someone _does_ highlight the revision date, the Emergency response section, and the NPFA ratings (or some equivalent). [Then, of course, they file them in some inconvenient place and no one ever looks at them again.] I love HPLC Water MSDSs; they invariably tell one to treat eye exposure by flushing the eye with water for 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/27 "2008-02-08T22:15:39Z")
[QUOTE=j666] I love HPLC Water MSDSs; they invariably tell one to treat eye exposure by flushing the eye with water for 15 minutes. [/QUOTE] This sounds worse than the programmer stuck in the shower. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/28 "2008-02-09T00:18:00Z")
[QUOTE=j666] Not to completely hijack the thread, I’ve worked in lots of labs, and I invariably end up taking over the MSDSs, because no one ever manages them well. BUT, at almost every place I’ve worked, someone _does_ highlight the revision date, the Emergency response section, and the NPFA ratings (or some equivalent). [Then, of course, they file them in some inconvenient place and no one ever looks at them again.] I love HPLC Water MSDSs; they invariably tell one to treat eye exposure by flushing the eye with water for 15 minutes. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s what should happen. But the MSDSs came in, would be scanned onto the network, and the originals placed in a binder (in order of arrival). The binder wasn’t in the lab - we’d have to get a computer (which were shared to begin with) and look them up one by one in a folder, a serious PITA). Seriously, that place was messed up when it came to health and safety - a fact that grated on my nerves every single day I worked there. Despite having mercury thermometers, there was no mercury spill kit. There was only one type of glove, though certain solvents are better with nitrile than latex (etc). People were weighing benzene derivatives on open, uncovered balances, without any sort of respiratory protection whatsoever. A mess. I did what I could, and worked there for a year, but since it wasn’t my job (I was a chemist), I was limited in time and resources. I did manage to create and write SOPs for emergency spill response, train designated people as a response team, organize respiratory protection to be provided to all chemists (particle and solvent masks), conduct lab audits every 2 months or so (H&S and GMP)… hehehe I sound defensive, don’t I? I don’t mean to be. H&S is something I actually take very seriously, and this place was an interesting challenge and a horrible frustration all in one! If my new career choice doesn’t work out, it is likely to be a back-up choice I’d make. Ok, enough with the hijack! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/29 "2008-02-09T02:05:54Z")
[QUOTE=Sailboat] I have a similar story. An auto mechanic once told me the copper wires in my car would need to be replaced “because they’re old.” I asked if they were faulty or broken, and he said, “No, they’re just old. Haven’t been replaced since the car was made.” I said, “Are you saying that _the copper itself_ is old?” “Yep.” Never mind that copper is an element, formed in the heart of a star billions of years ago, that coalesced into the earth’s crust 4.5 billion years ago. The problem is, this car is _ten years old._ Sailboat [/QUOTE] Audiophiles say it’s a good idea to trim the ends of your copper speaker cable wires every six months (in a humid or seaside climate) or year (everywhere else), because oxidation and dust on the exposed copper detracts from the ultimate sound. Audiophiles have been known to propound a number of silly things, but this tip is almost singularly sensible (and cheap). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/30 "2008-02-09T10:33:39Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] Provide a citation to a law or regulation that requires this, please. [/QUOTE] My Googling isn’t working too well, but > [@](#): > > The Food Labelling Directive (2000/13/EEC) requires most prepacked foodstuffs to carry a date of minimum durability. from [http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/labelregsguidance/usebydateguid](http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/labelregsguidance/usebydateguid) However I can’t find the text of the EC directive so I’m not sure what that “most” excludes. Incidentally, in the UK at least, there is a distinction between “Use By” dates, which are used on perishable goods which may be dangerous to consume after that date, and “Best Before” dates which are more advisory and indicate that the food may be past its best after this date. So I would expect a Best Before date rather than a Use By date on salt, if any. However I just checked my pack of salt and there is no date on it. (It does say, “Saxa Rock Salt is over 200 million years old, formed through ancient geological processes in the rocks of German mountain ranges”, so I guess they thought it would be silly.) So I take back my earlier answer that it is required by law. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/31 "2008-02-09T18:03:52Z")
[QUOTE=The Scrivener] Audiophiles say it’s a good idea to trim the ends of your copper speaker cable wires every six months (in a humid or seaside climate) or year (everywhere else), because oxidation and dust on the exposed copper detracts from the ultimate sound. Audiophiles have been known to propound a number of silly things, but this tip is almost singularly sensible (and cheap). [/QUOTE] The exposed copper has nothing to do with it. It’s exposed, after all. If there’s some crud at the interface point, then maybe they have something to go on there, but if it’s an adequately tight connection, then the contact points are isolated from the atmosphere and won’t corrode or get dusty. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/32 "2008-02-09T18:08:04Z")
**mnemosyne** , you are not alone. I have been there, and, like you, found that the only way to get things done was to do it myself. About that salt: it is hygroscopic, so that’s one reason for it to have a Use By Date. Oh, wait, the OP had rock salt. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/33 "2008-02-10T03:02:33Z")
And don’t assume those dates have necessarily even been researched. I used to work for a company that set its expiration dates by trotting across the street to the Wal-Mart and seeing what their competitors put on their products. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/34 "2008-02-10T05:34:48Z")
My box of Kosher salt appears to have reached it’s use by date, since it has coalesced back into solid form. I tried to refill my salt dish the other day and it just went “thunk” as the chunk slid to the other side. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/35 "2008-02-10T05:40:30Z")
[QUOTE=Desultourist] \So when the salt has gotten soggy years after its purchase ( **or when the grinder clogs up or rusts because of it** ), someone might get the idea to sue the manufacturer for selling them an inferior food product. (Or for false advertising, when it was clearly promised that “when it rains it pours”, for example.) With a date, their behinds are covered. [/QUOTE] If the OP has the same brand of sea salt in a grinder bottle I have, the grinder is plastic. 😉 I have a [McCormick’s Sea Salt Grinder](http://www.spiceplace.com/mccormick-sea-salt-grinder.php). I’m not sure if the grinder is self cleaning/non-clogging in design on not, but they also put in some kind of other powdery substance to help with moisture I think. Yeah, an anti-caking agent, Yellow Prussiate of Soda. ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663/36 "2008-02-10T09:43:09Z")
[QUOTE=OtakuLoki] This sounds worse than the programmer stuck in the shower. 😃 [/QUOTE] I thought they were kidding. [Apparently they weren’t kidding [Warning: PDF].](http://www.piercenet.com/files/EN6797.pdf) It also contains this gem: > [@](#): > > **Small Spill and Leak** : Dilute with water and mop up, or absorb with an inert dry material and place in an appropriate waste disposal container. Finish cleaning by spreading water on the contaminated surface and dispose of according to local and regional authority requirements. Oh no I spilled some distilled water! Better pour some more water on it before soaking it up with some paper towels, you know, to be on the safe side. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/use-by-date-salt/436663.md?page=1)