A new survey reports that over one-third of British consumers admit ignoring those helpful dates plastered on meat, milk, and other perishable food products.

One in three people eats food after its use-by date, a survey published today suggests.

Use-by dates appear only on highly perishable food such as meat, chilled meals and milk, but 34 per cent admitted ignoring them.

The survey apparently asked offenders how they could possibly rationalise such a senseless and dangerous practice.

Many justify this by saying that they believe the manufacturer will have built in a safety margin to protect themselves against legal action.

Personal confession time: I’m one of those meatheads who habitually risk food poisoning by ignoring use-by dates.  When it comes to assessing the safety of some perishable item that’s been hanging around in my refrigerator for a week or three, I use the smell test.  If it smells OK, I eat it; if it doesn’t, I chuck it out.  I’ve been following this routine with milk, cream, yogurt, eggs, you name it, for my entire adult life, and I’m none the worse for wear (as far as I can tell).

I must admit, however, that my failure to comply with use-by dates drives the StatWife crazy.  (She’s a nurse.)

Food profiteers insist that their dates have the imprimatur of science.

The food industry says the dates are based on scientific research and include an allowance for travelling home in a warm car.

Hmmm.  So, if I visit the supermarket to buy milk in the dead of winter and drive home in a cold car, the use-by date will in fact underestimate the nontoxic life of the stuff.  Sounds like a scheme to promote unnecessary purchases of meat and dairy products.  No fools we.

Given the nanny-state mentality rampant in the UK government, watch for legislation outlawing consumption of past-date food.  Feeding it to your kids could be grounds for removing them to foster care.