Go look around your kitchen right now and I’ll bet you find at least 3-5 different things with some form of expiration date on them. Federal guidelines only require expiration dates on baby formula. Despite that, most of the stuff we buy at a grocery store has some kind of date on it. It seems official enough, and most people try their best to either use up the product by the time that date rolls around, or throw it out. But have you ever stopped to think about what those dates really mean? As I said earlier, the vast majority of things on store shelves aren’t required by law to have any kind of date on them. As this quick and simple video by the Mayo Clinic shows, there are some subtle differences between the exact meanings of expiration, sell by, and use by dates. In most cases, the dates are simply a manufacturer’s best guess as to when that product will be at peak freshness. Expiration dates sound helpful in theory, but they can actually be kind of damaging too. Think about it, if manufacturers can set their own expiration dates, it would be in their best interests to underestimate that window of freshness so that you’ll be back to buy some more a lot sooner. It’s estimated that nearly 40% of the food produced in the United States gets wasted, even though it’s perfectly edible. Unrealistic aesthetic standards and fear of expiration dates lead to a lot of good food being tossed into landfills, despite the fact that nearly 48 million Americans (including over 15 million children) are food-insecure. In many cases, food that is stored properly at the right temperatures can last well past its expiration date. In my personal experience, having spent enough time in the kitchen to recognize freshness, I usually use my nose as a better indicator of whether it’s time to toss something. Use your best judgment, but err on the side of caution – smell before tasting, and eat a very, very tiny amount only if the smell is totally inconclusive. If there’s any hint of funk, toss it. Remember to SHARE this useful information with your friends and family! H/T: Mayo Clinic Read more: http://www.wimp.com/a-very-simple-explanation-for-food-expiration-dates/
The first rule of magic is “a magician never reveals their tricks.” The second rule of magic should now be “never perform magic this close to a little kid.” This magician learned that lesson the hard way, on live television. Setting up a card trick to show a little boy named Murray, the unnamed magician tells the audience that there are three cards on the table. Murray, the precocious lad that he is, immediately notices something is not quite right and lets the live studio audience know what the problem is. Sadly the magician doesn’t know how to disappear, so he simply has the audience give young Murray a round of applause. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/little-boy-ruins-magic/
“Hey, boss, I think I might be late for work today. You’re not going to believe me, but…” Read more: http://www.wimp.com/drivers-encounter-surprise-landslide/
When sea lions spot a shoal of sardines, it’s not long before all the ocean’s predators show up. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/watching-sea-predators-go-in-on-a-massive-shoal-of-sardines-is-absolutely-entrancing/
These fishermen got a little more than they bargained for when this mako shark bit onto their line. Let’s just say Jaws would have been a lot more terrifying if the shark could jump this high. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/did-you-know-sharks-could-jump-this-high/
Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole’s cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” offers a beautiful message of hope. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/somewhere-over-the-rainbow-israel-iz-kamakawiwoole/
Now that’s something you don’t see every day. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/rare-footage-captures-huge-humpback-whale-jumping-completely-out-of-the-water/
