Do men have stronger stomachs then women? It’s a question that came up in a recent conversation with friends. We noted among us that women seem to strictly adhere to the instructions on ‘best before’ dates, discarding anything that has gone even one day past that directed on the packet. While men, it would seem, are more open minded about when exactly it is that something becomes inedible or undrinkable.
My cleaner emptied a wide selection of packets and jars from my cupboard while I was overseas. Products such as tomato sauce, ready brek breakfast cereal, Marmite, and Vegamite were all discarded based not on whether or not they were unsuitable for consumption, but purely upon the items ‘best before’ date.
Her dogmatic approach to cupboard cleaning emptied something like a third of the contents of my cupboards. Needless to say I was fairly unimpressed, but she was insistent that the discarded items would have been bad for me. I explained that on several occasions I have consumed stuff that was a little (and sometimes a lot) past their ‘best before’ date, and I am still here to tell the story. I also pointed out to her that a bottle of water that has lived in my fridge forever is WELL past its ‘best before’ date, but it’s never been opened and when I do open it I doubt I’ll be knocked back by it’s ‘off’ smell.
Only last week she threw out a container of milk (4 pints) that was nearly full. Then she called upstairs “Sie, you need more milk love.” I sat back in my chair and recalled only having recently buying milk, so I responded “There should be some in the fridge.” She shouted back “That was off love, so I’ve poured it away.”
I went downstairs and politely explained to her that I had just had a bowl of cereal and was at that very moment enjoying a cup of tea made with the very milk she had just seen fit to pour down the drain. Her response with a laugh was “You’d be alight with the nig nogs wouldn’t you!” Referring, in her own unique and ignorantly racist style, to my recent trip to India where it’s true to say food sanitation is not as high on the health radar as it is in more developed countries. With that comment she returned to cleaning my kitchen.
So is it true, do men have stronger stomachs than women? What man hasn’t at one point or another accidentally dropped something edible on the floor only to pick it up and continue eating it after blowing on it then giving it a quick visual inspection? You would never see a woman do this, or would you? When making a coffee or cup of tea and finding that your milk isn’t quite as fresh as it perhaps should be, is it only a man who would think that more sugar in the drink will solve the problem? Do women do this kind of thing behind closed doors? Or is this something that I am assuming other men do, but in actual fact I am alone in my relaxed interpretation of ‘best before’ and the such? If so then I would like to point out to everyone that I am still here, free of decease and fighting fit, which may be down to luck, but I would argue was more down to judgement.
Now, anyone care for a coffee? The milk isn’t so good but it’ll be fine with an extra spoon of sugar, you’ll see.
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FSA Explain ‘Best before’
‘Use by’ and ‘Best before’ explained
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 8:51 am
I agree most girls are picky about their “best before”‘s. I, however, trust 3 of my senses. If it looks, smells, and tastes good, then it can’t be bad. I do not have a weak stomach and I have been known to eat anything from pork to guinea pigs and potatoes handled with dirty hands, and sometimes not even hands; and my stomach has never gotten upset. However, I do recall one instance, when after making chocolate milk for myself one night, I forgot to put the milk back in the fridge. The next morning, when I wanted a bowl of cereal for breakfast, the milk had gone all curdly and it tasted funny. So I tossed it. But hopefully most men would have done the same. The milk was supposedly still good for another 3 days, but since I hadn’t refrigerated it, it had gone bad. But I resent your generalization about all men being unsanitary, and most girls too anal about throwing good food away. I know plenty of men who chunk perfectly good meals out. But maybe I am just a pig like all you guys ;-)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 9:15 am
When it comes to packaged foods, I don’t adhere too strictly to the sell-by date. If it still looks and smells ok, I’ll eat it. When it comes to milk though I am very picky about it having to be fresh. If it smells the slightest bit off, down the drain it goes! I check the date on the carton before pouring and generally find that on the expiration date the milk is starting to smell a bit rank. I have been known to grab and eat food that has fallen on the floor after giving it a quick brush off. Because I clean the floor, I know whether it’s reasonably sanitary or not. I don’t know if men have stronger stomachs. My husband is actually more finicky about what he will eat than I am. If he knew that I’ve put food in front of him that has been past it’s sell by date, he would not be happy about it. Evil grin here.
As for your cleaner turfing food from your cupboard or even tossing questionable milk, I don’t think I’d find that ok. While she may be looking out for your personal welfare, it should really be up to you if you want your food thrown out.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 9:58 am
i agree with nenaluli, if it looks, smells, and tastes good then i’m sure it won’t hurt you. i have a pretty jacked up digestive system but other than dairy product, i can handle anything and I’m a girl.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 10:29 am
You see, thats why I can not wait until food irradiation is used all over. Once that happens nothing need never go bad again!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 10:30 am
grr, that double negative was a typo, honest!
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 10:37 am
Beware the hidden bacteria – the ones you can’t see, taste or smell but will make you sick all the same! At least that’s what they teach us in Food Service Manager’s class. So, at work I am a stickler but at home I observe the 3-second rule – if it hasn’t been on the floor longer than 3 (loosely interpreted) seconds it’s good for consumption.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 3, 2005 at 6:18 pm
It’s like Seinfeld says, Your hand starts shaking as you take a bite out of your cereal because you know the milk is a day or two late on the expiration. I know mine does. I owe my foods past their marked date phobia to my dear mum.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 4, 2005 at 9:16 am
All this talk about bad milk and cheese makes me want to clear my throat.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 4, 2005 at 1:51 pm
i must be pretty gross, b/c i observe the “5” second rule!! i did however notice during my stay in england that there aren’t alot of food itmes with preservatives in them so food does tend to go bad a little quicker. and whats up with those tiny regrigerators! grrr we had to go to the market all the time! = ) fat lazy americans with our “Super Wal-Mart” and over sized refrigerators!! = )
Wrote the following comment on Mar 4, 2005 at 5:31 pm
Before commenting, I went for some beer, which I’m drinking out of a pilsner rather than the usual can because I need to distance myself from my apparently abhorrent masculine side. How my male friends resisted these damn pilsners when I first bought them, and I eventually capitulated and returned to beer the way god meant it to be….straight from the bottle or can. ;-) But I digress. I do most definitely eat food and drink milk that are past the expiration date, and food that falls on the floor gets only the most cursory of oneovers before it gets consumed as well.
Ten years ago, I would have said that men had stronger stomachs, if for no other reason the famed bachelor diet of the quasi-edible. But now, possibly because of the decline of culinary skills among many women, I think that it is evening out a bit, at least in the US.
And, you know, if it weren’t for the fact that you disabled eProps, I’d be certain you were whoring for the hated FC with your questions to readers. As it is…I kind of like coming over and getting to think for a few minutes, secure in the fact that you actually…think, or something.
Wrote the following comment on Mar 5, 2005 at 4:11 am
Well then, the women of the world, or at least the very few women of the world that read my blog, have proved to me that it’s just not true to suggest that men have stronger stomachs, and that in private at least, they can be as shocking as men.
So, who wants to come to my place for dinner? :-)
Wrote the following comment on Mar 5, 2005 at 2:00 pm
I can not stomach things past their due date. They stink. Especially any kind of milk or sour cream.. YUK.