Survey for School.!

I would say I keep pretty good track of "use by" dates for uncooked food -- especially meat -- but when the fridge gets overfull sometimes items will slip through the cracks. In those cases I usually look and smell first and then check the "sell by" date to determine whether or not to toss it. Fresh produce doesn't have a "sell by" date, so in that case it's the "look, smell, and taste" test. I'll admit I've eaten a few bendy carrots in a pinch, though!

I do! We are not nearly as organized in our house as the rest of the people who responded! Often we will have something in our fridge that look and smells perfectly fine even though it is past its best buy date. I tend to toss it unless I'm 100% confident it's ok. My husband is the opposite: he tends to keep it unless he's confident it's not ok. As you can imagine we have some moments of disagreement ....

No, because I label and date everything that goes into the refrigerator or freezer. Deli foods (meats, cheeses) should always have the expiration date printed on the label.

Not usually because things get eaten up pretty quickly. If I'm putting something in the freezer, I write the date it goes into the freezer on the bag or container.

In case it's helpful for your project, there's a website called StillTasty.com that advises on "use by" dates.

No. I am pretty vigilant about keeping track of things in the fridge or pantry.

Not sure if the food you're referring to is the lunch served at school, but my kids always take food from home and its prepared fresh from scratch the previous day, or whipped up in the morning.

No. But leftovers don't last very long in my house.

no, never.

Sorry, no. I keep track of when I cook foods, and use them after durations recommended by CDC, USDA, FDA (not always the same as manufacturers). I'm esp careful with meat and dairy.