General Chat

I use Cravendale Skimmed milk in the large 4pint? size containers.

I have just finished one that had a best before date of 6 May so 14 days over the date and it was perfectly ok.

It's because they use ceramic filters to remove more of the bacteria that makes milk go sour - although I don't think I would have used it 14 days after the use by date. Milk doesn't last that long in our house anyway. We go through 4 x 4 pint bottles a week.

We like the Arla B.O.B. skimmed milk because it really does taste more like semi-skimmed milk so we like it for on cereal.

Kath. x

I have just switched to cravendale in my weekly shop


Granddaughter ,who is still with me , recommended it for long use by date

Usually I would buy Sainsbury's own but recently they have been sending short date ones I was wasting milk

I must say I am impressed with it and will stick with it :-)

I don't like the taste of semi skimmed The milk I was using had no smell or taste, it was fine, as I am now on my oen and don't eat cereals so use little milk really I just went on using it, to be honest I didn't check the date until I washed the container. Been drinking Cravendale for years and never had a problem with it. It would have been wasteful to throw it out while it was still ok.

If you can still catch it, wind it back. That is the way I live.

I drink uhomogenised full milk, which comes in pints or litres, and isn't sold in the local shop, so I end up buying 4 bottles, using about 2 inches, then freezing it.

https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/best-before-and-use-by-dates

I would be inclined to follow guidance on the above site.

Edit especially this paragraph

Food can look and smell fine even after its use-by date, but that doesn't mean it's safe to eat. It could still be contaminated.

You cannot see, smell or taste the bacteria that cause food poisoning.

Well, I have been fine and it has all gone now Von. All I have is about half an inch in tea or coffee.

Best before dates are about quality

The best before date, sometimes shown as BBE (best before end), is about quality and not safety. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. Its flavour and texture might not be as good. Best before dates appear on a wide range of foods including:

frozen foods
dried foods
tinned foods

The best before date will only be accurate if the food is stored according to the instructions on the packaging.


This was best before, not use by.

As you are ok that’s the main thing Ann <3

If you read the information on the side or back of dairy products that once opened they should be used within 3-4days .
I just wish we didn’t have all this packaged stuff as we’ve no idea how it’s all produced.

However we do have a friend who is an environmental officer and listening to him is very interesting.

That 3-4 days plays right into their hands as if you throw it away and you then need more they get extra profit.

Believe it or not I am actually usually very careful of expired dates.

Can you not buy it in smaller sizes??

Yes and I do when I remember there are not two of us.

I'm surprised at the date on bottles of milk.

I always thought it was OK for just a couple of days, although resourceful wives would usually be able to use it in their cooking.

Today's milkman's delivery of 1pt semi-skimmed in a glass bottle has a date of 30th May impressed on it's lid.

hmmm.....milk n more? ours has 26th may......

Yes, Milk & More.

I get 2 x 6 pint cartons delivered with my order and check the date when they arrive. If I think we won’t use it all in time, I freeze some of it in little 1 pint bottles. Skimmed and semi-skimmed freeze well. I’ve never tried freezing full cream milk. The only thing is you have to remember to take it out of the freezer well before you need it. It takes ages to defrost naturally.

....and leaves huge puddles of water, Vera! :-(