Do tea bags actually go bad?

Valentino · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:01

I was just looking at a 1/4 full box of tea bags I got a few years back and I was looking on it to see if it had a date of when it was made, a copyright year or something similar. On the bottom there was a best before date of September 2009.

Now I just had a tea today using one of the bags and it tasted like tea and I'm not dead yet, so I was wondering what the best before by date is all about? Is it to scare people into buying products when they don't need them? I'd go as far as saying the tea wasn't best before that date, so could I sue them for false advertising/description?

semi-pro waster · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:06

It's telling you that the tea is no longer fresh and so won't taste as good so while it may still taste ok to you to a more discerning palate the difference would be noticeable. It's highly unlikely that it would harm you but it's not going to taste as it should.

Valentino · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:08

I have the most discerning plate there is and i can say with most confidence that it tastes just like tea.

JBuk · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:10

Best before = at it's best quality before that date

Redz · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:12

Marketing ploy so you throw them out and buy more.

Valentino · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:14

Redz said:
Marketing ploy so you throw them out and buy more.

I shan't, I can't, and I won't.

Russinating · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:15

"Best before", ie it's best before that date. The clue's in the name

.

joeyjojo · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:16

Use by = eat it before then or it might have too many bacteria/toxins (although it's almost always a lie).

(Basic food hygiene again?? Come on ocuk)

Valentino · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:17

Surely they are best before you first open the sealed packet? Surely they are best before they ship? It seems a completely pointless and trivial thing to have on a box of tea bags.

flibbage0 · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:19

A lot of best before dates are an exaggeration.

Except for meat, there is a reason why its there.

JBuk · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:20

Valentino said:
Surely they are best before you first open the sealed packet? Surely they are best before they ship? It seems a completely pointless and trivial thing to have on a box of tea bags.

There's probably some scientific proof that they don't start diminishing inquality until x amount of days after they were produced and possibly a legal requirement to do it and print it on the packaging.

We all know in reality though there's probably little difference

Garee · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:25

Slightly off topic but I need to vent

I work part-time at Sainsburies and at the end of every shift we must dispose of all products that have a "display by" date of that day. It is absolutely shocking how much food goes to waste that could be given to others less fortunate.

Cosimo · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:34

Best drink it before they want you to buy some more

Russinating · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:35

Garee said:
I work part-time at Sainsburies

DJMK4 · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:53

Why have you got tea from 2009?

RomanNose · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:55

Garee said:
Slightly off topic but I need to vent

I work part-time at Sainsburies and at the end of every shift we must dispose of all products that have a "display by" date of that day. It is absolutely shocking how much food goes to waste that could be given to others less fortunate.

How come they cannot just hand out the food to the local homeless shelters?
Is there some kind of law that prohibits this action?

smit101 · 5 Mar 2011 at 22:59

Garee said:
Slightly off topic but I need to vent

I work part-time at Sainsburies and at the end of every shift we must dispose of all products that have a "display by" date of that day. It is absolutely shocking how much food goes to waste that could be given to others less fortunate.

Can you not take it home for yourself?

Rroff · 5 Mar 2011 at 23:00

Depending on the storage conditions tea can go moldy, generally tho lasts quite a long time tho will eventually break down into powder IIRC.

J1234 · 5 Mar 2011 at 23:01

Garee said:
Slightly off topic but I need to vent

I work part-time at Sainsburies and at the end of every shift we must dispose of all products that have a "display by" date of that day. It is absolutely shocking how much food goes to waste that could be given to others less fortunate.

Are you allowed to take it?

bainbridge · 5 Mar 2011 at 23:22

Rroff said:
Depending on the storage conditions tea can go moldy,

I found a mouldy box of tea in the back of a cupboard once, decided to give it a miss.