The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Online debate about use-by date on milk sparks divide

By Hannah Paine
news.com.au·
11 Sep, 2019 06:32 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

This photo sparked a massive debate on when was the best time to throw out milk. Photo / Facebook

This photo sparked a massive debate on when was the best time to throw out milk. Photo / Facebook

When it comes to this habit, chances are you either fall into the "hell yes" or "hell no" category — and you're not afraid to share your opinion on it either.

A Facebook post about drinking milk after its use-by date has sparked a massive debate online, with some commenters blasting the "sick" habit while others admitted to drinking milk as long as week past the use-by date.

Posting in the Markdown Addicts Facebook group, one member posted a photo of her out of date milk, writing in the caption that it had still been "fine" for her and her three children to drink.

"Just wanted to share because I know some people are funny with using MILK after expiry.

This is two days over and it is still fine," she wrote.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Just because it's marked down it doesn't mean you have to consume on that day. Fyi this wasn't a markdown but simply didn't get used quick enough and not one of my 3 kids or ourselves have been sick."

The post soon attracted almost 400 comments, with many people admitting to using milk past the use-by date as it was "wasteful" not to, labelling those who didn't "princesses", news.com.au reports.

"Never understood people who throw stuff away as soon as it hits the use by date without smelling/tasting it first. Such a waste! Most of the time it's still totally fine for quite a while," one person wrote.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Sometimes we don't open a bottle until the day on the bottle. It lasts for days after. Just smell it. Silly to throw away good milk," another commented.

"My last two litre milk was expired a week ago. I always sniff it and taste it before using. It was fine to the last drop," another wrote.

Beside doing a "sniff test" others said they would heat their past use-by date milk or put it in cups of tea to check if it was still good to consume. If it curdled, they would throw it out.

But despite plenty of people admitting to drinking expired milk, other commenters were horrified.

"I don't know how anyone can consume it yuck," one comment read.

"Please ignore this advice especially if you have kids. Supermarket fridges have variable temps not like home fridges. Don't give milk past its used by date to children they can potentially get very sick," one wrote.

"I'd throw up if I had milk like that. I always have," another user commented, while another added: "Wtf this is what gastro and projectile vomiting is caused from."

According to Food Standards Australia, food marked with a use-by date — such as milk and other dairy products — should not be consumed and can't legally be sold once the date has expired.

However food that has a best before date can still be eaten for some time after that date but "may have lost some quality".

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Dairy

Premium
The Country

Market close: Fonterra leads NZ sharemarket rise

26 Jun 06:15 AM
Opinion

Opinion: Are rising butter prices bad news?

25 Jun 11:18 PM
The Country

'Under pressure': NZ farms face succession challenges

24 Jun 11:15 PM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Dairy

Premium
Market close: Fonterra leads NZ sharemarket rise

Market close: Fonterra leads NZ sharemarket rise

26 Jun 06:15 AM

The NZX 50 rose by 0.15% to 12,480.05 as Fonterra performed strongly.

Opinion: Are rising butter prices bad news?

Opinion: Are rising butter prices bad news?

25 Jun 11:18 PM
'Under pressure': NZ farms face succession challenges

'Under pressure': NZ farms face succession challenges

24 Jun 11:15 PM
Huinga dairy farmer celebrated at national sustainability awards

Huinga dairy farmer celebrated at national sustainability awards

18 Jun 10:37 PM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP