# Why is the sell by Date for lunch meat two months ahead but it has to be eaten within a week or so after opening? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 29, 2026, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992 "2026-07-29T03:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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 30, 2026, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/21 "2026-07-30T13:38:05Z")
And most of the ones that are harmless taste bad. I often try to salvage moldy bread or cheese by discarding the molded portion, but often, the part near the visible mold tastes nasty from the mold that is growing there but hasn’t fruited, yet. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/22 "2026-07-31T19:49:39Z")
IIRC Doesn’t age effect our tolerance for bacteria in food? A healthy 25 year old might get an upset stomach and be fine in a day or two. His 66 year old grand-dad might not shake it off as quickly. I’ve read spices were a highly valued and traded commodity in the Middle Ages because it masks the taste of meat that’s going bad. Freshly killed game was a treat for the King or Nobility. 🤮 ---
**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 31, 2026, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/23 "2026-07-31T20:29:54Z")
Apparently, that’s a myth, and they liked spices because spices taste good. But also, meat was mostly a treat for the nobility. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/24 "2026-07-31T22:36:56Z")
Age maybe, but IMO / IME individual variation blows that out of the water. My ex-wife could get violently ill for hours on one bite of something suspicious that I’d eat a pound of with zero consequences. She and I were the same age within a couple months. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/25 "2026-07-31T22:44:25Z")
Many spices also had medicinal values, real or imagined. There is some truth that it was used to disguise spoilage, but yeah, a lot of it was because they just plain old make things taste better. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2026, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/26 "2026-07-31T22:46:33Z")
It’s pretty conclusively known that spices cost 3x+ what fresh meat did. ---
**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 31, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/27 "2026-07-31T23:50:07Z")
Per pound, it’s way more than that. Per serving, it’s way less. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/28 "2026-08-01T02:14:33Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Age maybe, but IMO / IME individual variation blows that out of the water. > > My ex-wife could get violently ill for hours on one bite of something suspicious that I’d eat a pound of with zero consequences. She and I were the same age within a couple months. Huh. Most “suspicious” food is fine. Some spoiled food has grown stuff that’s actually dangerous, and other old food hasn’t. At least, that’s the model I’ve been using. Personally, i use the sniff test. I’m careful about raw stuff, especially raw meat, but I’m pretty lax about food that’s been sitting around if it still smells good. I’ve only had food poisoning once, and had assumed I’d just been lucky about not eating food with anything dangerous growing in it. (The one time i had food poisoning was after a large group event, and enough people got sick that the authorities traced it to the fried chicken. I had unpleasant symptoms for a couple of hours, and I’ve felt like that wasn’t so horrible that i should deprive myself of lots of good food and quiet about it just to prevent an apparently more chance of it happening again ) ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/29 "2026-08-01T02:31:01Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Personally, i use the sniff test. I’m careful about raw stuff, especially raw meat, but I’m pretty lax about food that’s been sitting around if it still smells good. I’ve only had food poisoning once, and had assumed I’d just been lucky about not eating food with anything dangerous growing in it. One caveat to that, which I’m sure you know but I’ll just mention it here as a point of information. The “sniff test” isn’t always reliable (but I use it all the time, too) but the important exception is that it doesn’t apply to food left out too long at room temperature. The usual guideline is 4 hours, though that depends a lot on what the food is, what “room temperature” is, and whether it was initially cold or hot. I’ve left stuff out for 6 hours or more and lived to tell the tale! But the point is, the sniff test generally works for refrigerated food, but not for perishables left out too long at room temp, where toxins generated by bacteria can accumulate rapidly. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/30 "2026-08-01T02:48:22Z")
While the bacteria that grow those toxins don’t produce much odor, the same conditions that favor their growth favor the growth of lots of other bacteria. And honestly, that’s true of salmonella and lots of other harmful bacteria. Are you safe because it smells okay? No. Are your odds better? Yes. I’ve eaten stuff that was left out overnight if it still smells good. I toss “damp starches” (which mostly means rice) that was left out overnight because they especially favors those toxin-producers, and also, it’s just rice. If i want more rice it’s cheap and easy to make more. It’s a staple, there’s always raw rice in the cupboard. I’ve been more careful recently, because my husband is now immune compromised. But I’ve spent most of my life not worrying about it. I remember when i was 12 my family spent a week staying with another family in California. The fathers had been medical school room mates. On the first night, they roasted a turkey. That turkey sat on the counter for 3 days and we all nibbled at it. In the 4th day they made turkey soup. Neither doctor was concerned that their families were eating it. None of us got sick, either. Now, it was cool in the kitchen. I wouldn’t eat 3 day old meat that sat at 80°F. But overnight at 70°F? Yeah, personally, I’ll risk it if it smells good. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/31 "2026-08-01T02:57:41Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Now, it was cool in the kitchen. I wouldn’t eat 3 day old meat that sat at 80°F. But overnight at 70°F? Yeah, personally, I’ll risk it if it smells good. Some years ago, a friend and I stocked up on groceries in preparation for a week-long boat cruise the next morning. Among our supplies were a couple of beautiful marinated steaks that had been vacuum-packed. We had a cooler to take all this stuff down to the boat and the boat itself had a refrigerator. We ended up storing all the food at his place, and the next morning he sadly informed me that he had neglected to put the vac-packed steaks in the fridge and they had sat out overnight. After a brief consultation we decided that (a) they were probably fine, but (b) getting severe food poisoning while on a boat in the middle of nowhere was not ideal. So we threw out two beautiful marinated rib steaks. I console myself thinking that maybe some raccoons had a nice treat of steak tartare out of it! 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Disinfectus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/disinfectus/32/11085_2.png) [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/32 "2026-08-01T03:07:42Z")
Through my college years, it was quite common for my friends and I to eat pizza that had sat out for 6-10 hours. None of us thought twice about it, and I don’t recall anyone getting sick from it. I don’t do it anymore, however, because I’ve been told numerous times that it’s a really bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/33 "2026-08-01T03:15:48Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > Through my college years, it was quite common for my friends and I to eat pizza that had sat out for 6-10 hours… > > … I don’t do it anymore, however, because I’ve been told numerous times that it’s a really bad idea. Pizza that’s sat out doesn’t worry me at all. The sausage/pepperoni/salami is preserved, the tomato sauce is acidic, and the cheese is salty (and it’s cheese, which keeps). ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/34 "2026-08-01T03:35:41Z")
> [@Disinfectus](#): > > Through my college years, it was quite common for my friends and I to eat pizza that had sat out for 6-10 hours. None of us thought twice about it, and I don’t recall anyone getting sick from it. I don’t do it anymore, however, because I’ve been told numerous times that it’s a really bad idea. I’ll just note the peculiar contrast of the post vs the poster’s name! 😁 ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/35 "2026-08-01T03:42:46Z")
Yeah, we shove it in the fridge after supper, but I’ve never once worried about day-old pizza. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/36 "2026-08-01T04:43:28Z")
If I get Domino’s or Pizza Hut, what doesn’t get eaten the first day stays in its box, sitting on the counter, overnight. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/37 "2026-08-01T05:04:42Z")
It’s the warm Coke to wash it down that gets you. Just ask Herman Tarnower[!](https://christinelavin.com/songs/f/COLD-PIZZA-FOR-BREAKFAST/) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/38 "2026-08-01T15:21:40Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Huh. Most “suspicious” food is fine. I have long suspected some of her sensitivities were about 99% psychosomatic. That was, however, not an idea she was willing to hear, much less entertain. Yet another reason she’s in the ex- column on my scorecard. 🙂 As to pizza, IME it’s still fine after 36 hours on the counter in reasonable temps. It stays fresher-tasting and fresher-feeling on the counter than it does in the aggressively desicating environment of a fridge. It’s also pretty rare that pizza survives uneaten 36 hours after coming home. ---
**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:** [August 1, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/39 "2026-08-01T15:48:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I’ve eaten stuff that was left out overnight if it still smells good. I toss “damp starches” (which mostly means rice) that was left out overnight because they especially favors those toxin-producers, and also, it’s just rice. Mayonnaise gets a bad rap, from people eating pasta salad or potato salad that’s been sitting out for too long. But actually, mayo is shelf-stable for months or longer: The culprit there is the potatoes or pasta. Damp starches, as you say. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2026, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992/40 "2026-08-05T00:50:50Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > And they often can’t even express what they want to say coherently: I keep seeing, “After opening, use within 7-10 days”. That makes no sense unless they mean you’re supposed to open it and then wait a week to use it! Just “within 10 days”. Nah, that’s syntactically okay, if semantically a bit wishy-washy. It means, and says, _“After opening, use within a restricted time window that might be as short as 7 days but for sure no longer than 10 days.”_ Subtext: _“We don’t know your fridge settings or how long you let the package sit on the counter etc., so we’re not committing ourselves to whether you should dump that package a scant week after you open it or whether you can spin out its post-opening life expectancy a few days longer.”_ But grammatically, it does not mean _“Use within a four-day time window that doesn’t even start until 7 days after you’ve opened the package”_, and I think most consumers wouldn’t interpret it that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-the-sell-by-date-for-lunch-meat-two-months-ahead-but-it-has-to-be-eaten-within-a-week-or-so-after-opening/1031992.md?page=3)