Use by, best before

Does anyone ever stop to check whether your food says best before or use by when glancing at the date? I know I’ve overlooked it plenty of times, but understanding the difference between these two labels could actually save us money, reduce food waste and keep us from eating something we shouldn't.

According to research by Food Standards Australia New Zealand, a surprising number of people are confused about these dates—22 per cent of us get best before wrong, and 33 per cent don’t quite get use by either. So, let’s break it down in simple terms.

A use by date is serious business. It's non-negotiable. If our food has this label, it means we should eat it before or on that date. If we miss the deadline, don’t chance it—it’s not just a taste issue, it’s a health and safety risk. This applies to perishable items like meat and dairy. So, if that chicken in our fridge is past its use-by date, don’t cook it! We could freeze it before that date, but be careful how we defrost and prepare it. That’s not something we want to mess around with.

Now, best before is where things get a little easier and a bit more flexible. Foods with a best before label—like biscuits, chips, or pasta—are still perfectly fine to eat after the date, but they might not be at their best in terms of taste or texture. It’s not an exact science, so if our crisps are a month past their best-before date and they still taste good, go ahead and munch away. Just remember, the quality might not be top-notch, and we might lose a bit of nutritional value over time.

So, how long do best-before foods actually last? In general, best-before foods can last well beyond the date on the packaging. As a rough rule, they’re good for about six months past the best-before date, and sometimes even longer. I’ve definitely found some forgotten biscuits at the back of my cupboard that were months out of date, but they tasted just fine! Foodbank, an organisation that helps distribute food to those in need, gets plenty of products close to their best-before date and even asks suppliers how long those foods will still be safe to eat. So, if it looks fine and smells fine, it probably is.

However, the same can’t be said for anything past its use-by date—don’t take any chances there. Even if it looks and smells okay, just toss it away.

At the end of the day, being mindful of these dates can help us cut down on food waste and make sure we’re not eating anything that might make us ill. And if we ever find ourselves in doubt, remember the golden rule: trust our senses, but always respect the use by date.

Disclaimer: What I write here is based on information easily found on the Internet. My readers can choose to believe or dismiss my opinion. Also, this discussion is strictly about food and not medicine—that’s a whole different ball game!

OFA chess tournament 2024

I am glad to disclose here that The Old Frees' Association shall organise the second FIDE-rated OFA rapid chess open tournament on the 24th of November this year. This tournament comes in the wake of the successful OFA Centenary chess tournament that we ran last year on the occasion of the club's 100th anniversary. This time, we shall be holding the tournament at The Old Frees' Association itself and not the Penang Free School. The association's multi-purpose hall in its Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah premises should be big enough to host this tournament but we also have a fallback plan to additionally utilise the karaoke room should the need arises. Playing aside, the amenities around the clubhouse are excellent. There are food courts or coffee shops nearby while the Wayla Kin Restaurant within the OFA premises offers very good food too. Therefore, I'd like to ask chess enthusiasts to keep this date available to participate in the OFA's second FIDE-rated rapid chess tournament. Details are given below.

Date: 24 November 2024 
Venue: The Old Frees’ Association, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, George Town 
Main Organiser: The Old Frees' Association (OFA) 
Co-organiser: Penang Chess Association (PCA)

Entry Fees:

RM40 (OFA member and Penang Free School student)

RM60 (Non-OFA member, FIDE rating 2000 and above)

RM70 (Non-OFA member, FIDE rating 1999 and below)

RM80 (Non-OFA member, FIDE unrated)

FIDE ID:

1) IMPORTANT NOTICE: Players without FIDE ID will not be allowed to compete.
2) Local players without FIDE ID must register early through their respective state chess associations.
3) Foreign players without FIDE ID must register through their own national chess federations.
4) Registration fee for local players’ FIDE ID: RM50 per person, to be borne by the player concerned.
5) STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE to apply for FIDE ID: https://tinyurl.com/26babum6 
(Note: An average of SEVEN days for processing. Please apply early to avoid disappointment.)

All players will receive a Certificate of Participation; Medals and e-Certificates of Achievement for winners.

Schedule:

08:45 - Briefing by Chief Arbiter

09.00 to 10.00 (Round 1)

10.15 to 11.15 (Round 2)

11.30 to 12.30 (Round 3)

12.30 to 13.30 (Lunch break)

13.30 to 14.30 (Round 4)

14.45 to 15.45 (Round 5)

16.00 to 17.00 (Round 6)

17.15 to 18.15 (Round 7)

18.45 - Prize Giving

Format:

7-round Swiss System with time control of 20 minutes + 5 sec per move

Tie-breaks:

1) Direct encounter

2) Bucholz

3) Sonnenborn-Berger

4) Tie-break determined by the Organisers

For the purpose of this tournament:

1) Veterans are defined as players 50 years old and above (born in 1974 or earlier).
2) FIDE Rating refers to either FIDE Rapid or FIDE Standard ratings only.
3) Winners are entitled to only one prize each.
4) Maximum 100 participants only.

Online tournament registration: https://tinyurl.com/2zbvu2fj or scan the QR code

Payment method: Maybank A/c 5570-4564-4882 (The Old Frees’ Association)

Closing date: 22 November 2024

Players’ listing: https://tinyurl.com/2vsfdbu4

Contact persons: Quah Seng Sun 0124703700, Alex Ung 0174775418, Terry Ong 0124611865

Notices:

The organisers reserve the right to amend the terms of the tournament. Entries may close early at the organisers’ discretion. The Chief Arbiter’s decisions on all chess matters, including results, are final and shall not be challenged.

New life for an old workhorse

This is an occasion too significant for me to overlook. At around 1.22pm today, the iconic Penang ferry, Pulau Pinang, was successfully towed past the KTMB railway bridge at the Bagan Dalam Slipway, marking a key milestone in its transformation into Asia's first floating museum. For now, it is temporarily docked at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal (SPCT) while awaiting its final move to Tanjung City Marina.

According to Buletin Mutiara, people of all ages gathered along the slipway to witness this historic event. Some cheered with excitement, while others, overcome with nostalgia, bid the vessel a heartfelt farewell. Pulau Pinang, along with five or six other ferries, once played a vital role in ferrying passengers between the island and the mainland. Now, instead of transporting people, it will preserve Penang's rich heritage and carry the stories of generations who once sailed on it. Thank you, Pulau Pinang, for your incredible service to Penang. You’ve made Penangites proud, and we are grateful for the memories.

The yellow double-ended ferries that chugged across the Channel were once a crucial mode of transport to ferry both passengers and vehicles between George Town and Butterworth. Penang's ferry service was the oldest in Malaysia, introduced by local entrepreneur Quah Beng Kee and his brothers under the name Beng Brothers back in 1894.

The old iconic ferries, some of which were commissioned in the 1970s, were officially retired at the end of 2020 and replaced by faster speedboats. One ferry continued to serve vehicles, specifically motorcycles and bicycles, until July 2023. By August 2023, a fleet of four modern ferries, costing RM100 million and operated by Penang Port Sdn Bhd, took over the route.

As for Pulau Pinang, which belonged to the Penang Port Commission, it was leased to Printhero Merchandise Sdn Bhd for conversion into the Penang Ferry Museum. Its new role is no longer just about moving people, but about preserving the stories, history and legacy of Penang’s maritime heritage. (This picture from Buletin Mutiara's facebook.)

South of the border

For anyone heading to Singapore this November and December for some incredible chess events – the World Chess Championship match between defending champion Ding Liren (China) and challenger Gukesh Dommaraju (India), as well as the Singapore Chess Festival which features mainly the Singapore International Chess Open, the events to be held at the Resorts World Sentosa – I’ve put together a summary of the schedule for both. 

I’m still on the fence, but there’s a good chance I’ll be in Singapore for a few days to soak in the atmosphere.