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I've eaten yogurt that was expired well over six months. It was good. Tasted just like it was supposed to, and no symptoms. If the seal hasn't been broken, many hermetically sealed foods will be fine, that has been my experience.
I wouldn't do that with luncheon meat, though. And if the smell of anything is off, or there's discoloration, I toss it. Dates are funny in that some people will think a package of deli meat they opened three weeks ago is still ok to eat because the date of expiration hasn't yet arrived.
"If In Doubt Throw It Out!", is an adage I was taught when I was learning to cook during my High School years.
I always go by the "Best Before" stickers, and just perhaps a day extra on top. Sometimes looking at food visually or by smelling it doesn't always mean its perfectly fine to eat. Just depends on how desperate you are I guess.
I have some canned fish which are over ten years old and while in theory they still should be good.....I'm not willing to test that theory, so they are on the side to go out......just wondering if to toss them in the trash or the recycling.
On the other hand, I'll probably push refrigerated eggs two weeks or so past their date. Of course, I am not eating them directly but using them in baking.
Mom taught me that opened canned fish only has about a day where it is safe (so fish meals are hard to do left overs with)........and I tend to be very reserved on canned food. If the can seal opens too easily or I have other doubts, I will dump it....though I am not too crazy about wasting food.
There's been a lot of press showing that the dates on food items aren't really set in stone, and food doesn't have a timer on it that immediately goes bad.
“Most consumers don’t realize that they’re really more about food quality than food safety,” says Robert Gravani, Ph.D., a professor of food science at Cornell University. Food may not be at its peak after those dates, but such factors as staleness and color change are quality problems, not safety concerns. The truth is that in many cases, food on a shelf—or even in a fridge—past the date on the package is fine to eat. That "expired food" doesn’t have to be thrown away
In general, I check the food to see if it smells or looks bad, but I just yesterday ate a yogurt with a date of June 10 on it, and lived to tell the tale.
It totally depends on what the food is, and whether the "expiration date" is actually a Best By--, Sell by--, or Use by-- date.
Amazing to me how many people see a date printed on their food and if that date is past, they throw the food out without considering other factors.
Canned and dry packaged foods like rice and pasta are good for YEARS after the Best by-- date. So are things like condiments and spices. If they still taste okay, they are okay.
Dairy products and eggs have a Sell by-- date, but milk is usually fine for another week or more. Occasionally I have had milk go sour but that is always readily apparent (and sometimes it has gone sour before the date). Sealed yogurt is good for months. Cheese is fine if it has no mold. Eggs are also good for several weeks after the "sell by" date.
Raw meat, chicken, fish, and ready-prepared foods often have a Use by-- date. Those are the only things I am iffy about. I might use them the day after the date, but would probably throw them away after that. As a matter of fact, though, I freeze any raw meat I don't plan to use the same day, and hardly buy any prepared foods, so this rarely comes up.
It totally depends on what the food is, and whether the "expiration date" is actually a Best By--, Sell by--, or Use by-- date.
Amazing to me how many people see a date printed on their food and if that date is past, they throw the food out without considering other factors.
Canned and dry packaged foods like rice and pasta are good for YEARS after the Best by-- date. So are things like condiments and spices. If they still taste okay, they are okay.
Dairy products and eggs have a Sell by-- date, but milk is usually fine for another week or more. Occasionally I have had milk go sour but that is always readily apparent (and sometimes it has gone sour before the date). Sealed yogurt is good for months. Cheese is fine if it has no mold. Eggs are also good for several weeks after the "sell by" date.
Raw meat, chicken, fish, and ready-prepared foods often have a Use by-- date. Those are the only things I am iffy about. I might use them the day after the date, but would probably throw them away after that. As a matter of fact, though, I freeze any raw meat I don't plan to use the same day, and hardly buy any prepared foods, so this rarely comes up.
I agree with all of this except the "Cheese is fine it it has no mold." That's not true. You just cut off the moldy part and you're good to go.
I agree with all of this except the "Cheese is fine if it has no mold." That's not true. You just cut off the moldy part and you're good to go.
Yes, I agree, if it's a block of hard cheese like cheddar. I would absolutely cut off the mold and eat the rest. But with shredded cheese, crumbled cheese (feta), or soft cheeses like cottage cheese, I don't feel confident that I could get all the mold out, so I would throw that kind of thing away.
Oils, fats, nuts, grains, and foods containing them are more likely to have valid expiration dates.
Indeed - and they smell and taste rancid when they are no good.
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