tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729772.post4256274972552777134..comments2023-03-14T08:20:51.212-06:00Comments on Musings on transfusion medicine: The sound of silence (Musings on blood safety regulations)Bluthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06234734730501396268noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729772.post-49655530643123401822012-03-08T18:19:41.888-07:002012-03-08T18:19:41.888-07:00Thanks, anonymous. Interesting analogy about food....Thanks, anonymous. Interesting analogy about food. Like blood products, food is subject to many safety regulations. The difference between '<b>best before</b>' and '<b>use by</b>' dates may be misunderstood by consumers and varies from country to country.<br /><br />'Best before' generally means the date that food can be expected to retain its optimum properties (best quality), assuming it is stored properly according to package directions. 'Best before' is associated with frozen and canned foods, eggs, cereal, yogurt, and more. <br /><br />As you say, food past its 'best before' date doesn't mean we need to discard it but the quality may not be ideal. It's legal to sell such food. <br /><br />We consume it at our own risk, but the risk is usually not life-threatening (no guarantees) but more a question of tolerating a yuk! factor directly correlated to increasing age.<br /><br />In contrast, food past its 'use by' date presents a safety risk, even if it looks and smells okay, and is illegal to sell. It's associated with short-term perishables such as deli meat, fish and milk.<br /><br />'Best before' and 'use by' may have parallels in the recently resurrected controversy about potential risks associated with <b>transfusing older blood</b>. <br /><br />For example, for most patients 'fresh blood' (RBC less than a week old) may turn out to be equivalent to 'best before', i.e., using older blood may have risks that are minor in the grand scheme of things, as opposed to being a life-threatening version of 'use by'.<br /><br />Time and research will tell. Risk management and cost-benefit analyses are everything these days.Bluthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06234734730501396268noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8729772.post-69922575760355834672012-03-08T09:02:11.700-07:002012-03-08T09:02:11.700-07:00On a personal level (not scientific at all, I am q...On a personal level (not scientific at all, I am quite prepared to take the implied risk of using salad dressing that is past its best-before date. And yogurt (sheesh, it is already fermented, or whatever). Clearly, this affects only me (and whoever might have to put up with my up-chucking when my experiment didn't work out - hasn't happened yet), which is quite different from providing products to patients/clients. Anyhow, I myself have passed my best-before date, so what the hey. <br /><br />Thanks for this interesting topic!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com