Can I Eat Expired Food?

Understanding Expiration Date Labels to Cut Food Waste

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Have you ever found yourself staring at a carton of milk or a jar of pasta sauce, wondering if it’s still okay to use? You’re not alone! Confusing labels like use by and best before lead many to toss perfectly good food.

Let’s break down these terms, share tips for smarter storage, and learn which foods are fine to eat past their dates to reduce food waste and save money.

What Do Expiration Dates Mean?

Expiration date labels can be confusing, but they’re here to you on food safety and quality. Let’s break down the most common terms so you know when to keep or toss an item.

• Use By: This is a safety threshold. This is the last day that like meat, dairy, and seafood are safe to eat. Consuming these items after the use-by date can pose health risks, so it’s important to use or freeze them before this date for food safety.
• Best Before: This is a . Foods are still safe to eat after this date, but their texture, flavour, or freshness might not be the best. Think slightly stale crackers or slightly softer pasta.

Food expiration dates can be confusing since there’s no fixed system. Most products have a “best-before” date, but , they after that date if they’re safe to eat (e.g., from solid to liquid, or sprouting of grains). Infant formula is the exception because it is for a baby’s growth and development in the early months, especially when breastfeeding isn’t an option. But with its complex ingredients, it needs to maintain its quality. Expired formula can , which can be risky for babies still developing their immune systems.

How is the expiration date determined?

A food product’s stability and shelf life depend on like ingredient quality, product composition, processing methods, packaging, and storage and handling conditions.

Manufacturers usually test how food ages under these to determine the expiry date, lab tests, literature research, or consumer taste tests. For example, companies can use by adding harmful bacteria like Listeria to products and store them like under normal conditions. This helps them figure out when it could become unsafe, so they set the “use by” date earlier for safety. They also use to estimate shelf life based on things like product type and storage conditions.

However, expiration dates are just guidelines — food can still be safe to eat after the date, depending on how it’s stored and the type of product.

Types of Food That (Almost) Never Go Bad

Some foods don’t expire, or their shelf life is so long that they rarely go bad before being used up. This is usually due to their chemical composition, which doesn’t favour bacteria growth. These items include:

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• Honey: Honey’s create an unfavourable environment for bacteria to grow. As such, raw and unprocessed honey lasts forever when stored properly.
• and : These kitchen staples have low water content, making them naturally shelf-stable. When stored properly in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, they can last indefinitely.
• Dry rice: Rice has a long shelf life when stored in air-tight containers and, depending on the type and storage conditions, can . Due to its more refined processing, white rice (up to 2 years) than brown rice (3–6 months). Brown rice retains its bran and germ, which gives it a higher oil content, making it more susceptible to rancidity over time.
• Vinegar: As a fermented product, vinegar is naturally acidic and contains antimicrobial properties, which means it doesn’t truly expire. While it can last indefinitely, once opened, may grow, causing cloudy sediment to form. This is perfectly normal and can be easily strained off before use. The best-before date reflects flavour changes, but vinegar remains safe well beyond that date.
• Canned Goods: When stored in a cool, dry place, canned foods can . In fact, according to , products with a shelf life of over 2 years are not required to have a best-before date. However, it’s important to check for any signs of bulging or rusting before use.

Foods That Are Safe After the Date

Many foods remain safe to eat well beyond their “best before” dates if stored correctly. Here’s a quick guide to some common items:

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• : Bread is safe to eat if stored properly in a cool, dry place — just be sure to check for mould. If you can’t use it before it starts to stale, freeze it. Frozen bread can last for months and can easily be toasted or reheated whenever you’re ready to enjoy it.
• Hard Cheeses: Hard cheeses, like cheddar, gouda, and parmesan, have and can be eaten past expiry dates. If you find mould on hard cheeses, simply the mouldy portion (about an inch/2.5 cm around the mould) and enjoy the rest.
• Dry Goods: Dry goods like dry beans, pasta, and cereal are typically safe to consume up to a year past their best-before date, as they are . These processed foods are in terms of chemistry, microbiology, and physical properties, especially when stored properly or according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. While they remain safe to eat, it’s important to note that their quality may decrease over time, affecting factors like taste and texture.
• Yogurt: This fermented dairy product is packed with that create an acidic environment, slowing the growth of harmful microbes. Thanks to this natural preservation, yogurt often stays safe to eat well past its best-before date if stored properly. According to the , yogurt can last 1–2 weeks in the refrigerator and up to 1–2 months in the freezer.

Tips for Maximising Product Longevity

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• Storage Matters: Follow manufacturer instructions to . Many foods last longer when refrigerated, frozen, or kept in an air-tight container stored in a cool, dry place. Improper storage can cause items to spoil before their expiration date. Use airtight containers, refrigerate as needed, and protect from heat and sunlight. Also, keep food away from chemicals like insecticides and cleaning products to avoid contamination.
• Inspect Before Using: Always use your senses — smell, look, and taste (in small quantities, of course) — to gauge whether a product is still safe or pleasant to consume, even if it’s slightly past its date.
• Understand the Different Products: Different products have varying shelf lives, with some being more perishable and providing better conditions for bacterial growth. Dry goods like pasta, rice, and canned vegetables generally last much longer than fresh meat or dairy products, primarily due to their low water content. Perishable items, such as fish and fresh meat, require refrigeration and extra care to prevent spoilage and ensure they remain safe to consume.

Conclusion

Food expiration dates are meant to indicate the safety, freshness, quality, and usefulness of food products, helping consumers make informed choices.

However, a food’s shelf life isn’t solely determined by the date on the label — it’s also affected by such as ingredients, packaging, processing methods, and storage conditions. Even similar foods can vary in how long they last due to these factors. Understanding this can help you reduce waste, stay safe, and make smarter, more sustainable choices!

⚠️ So don’t just throw out food when it’s past its best before date! Take a moment to check if it’s still safe to eat. You might be able to enjoy it and reduce unnecessary food waste.

We’d love to hear your thoughts and any tips you have for making the most of food storage and shelf life! Share them below. 👇🍽️