What You Need to Know About Eating Expired Food

Have you ever been rooting through your pantry and come across a package that is well past its expiration date? Despite our good intentions, attempts at organization, and careful rotation of supplies, it still happens from time to time.

What about a really amazing sale on a packaged food? Sometimes that good sale is a last-ditch effort to clear out the product before the date. Should you still buy it?

When sorting supplies for my recent relocation, I discovered to my dismay that a couple of items had passed their expiration dates. I was determined to find out whether I needed to throw these items out, or whether the expired food could still be safely consumed.

What You Need to Know About Expiration Dates Prepperu2019s Survival... Jim Cobb Best Price: $6.14 Buy New $7.88 (as of 06:10 UTC - Details)

Are you sitting down?

The dates on the packages? They don’t mean much of anything.

The only foods that are required by law to have expiration dates are baby food and baby formula. Everything else is voluntary or arbitrary.  Although I have suspected this for quite some time and even wrote about it in Make Dating Your Preps a Habit, I decided it was time to dig in a bit further and look for facts rather than supposition.

So what are all of those dates printed on food containers?

The Prepperu2019s Cook... Tess Pennington Best Price: $4.45 Buy New $6.60 (as of 05:55 UTC - Details) The website Eatbydate.com defines the terms in an article called The Big Myth.

  • Best Before Date – The “Best Before Date” is, according to the manufacturer, the last date by which a products flavor or quality is best, the optimal time of its shelf life for quality. As noted above, the product may still be enjoyed after the “best before date.” Additionally the manufacturer may call this the “Best if Used By” date or the “Best By” date, which indicates that the quality of food might diminish after that date, but it is still good to eat and the shelf life is still active.
  • Use By Date – The “Use By Date” is the last day that the manufacturer vouches for the product’s quality. The use by date is the date the manufacturers recommend to use the product for “peak quality” in the food. So you may eat the food after the use by date, but it likely is not going to be at peak quality.
  • Sell By Date – The “Sell By Date” on a product is the items expiration date, the end of its shelf life at the store. This is the last date stores are supposed to display the product for sale, after the Sell By Date the stores should remove the product, the Shelf Life has expired. Although the food product may be used and enjoyed past this date, it is not recommended to purchase a product if the Sell By date has past. 60-1 Gallon ShieldPro ... Buy New $34.99 (as of 01:10 UTC - Details)
  • Shelf Life – The “Shelf Life” of food is used in reference to these common codes (Use by Date, Sell by Date, and Best Before Date). The Shelf Life depends on which code is used and the type of product in question. Please see the specific page for your product to determine the proper shelf life of food because the Shelf Life is different for each particular item!

So with all of this being said, it seems like the dates don’t mean a whole lot. We must rely on our common sense to determine whether or not the expired food is still good to eat. If it smells or tastes “off” it isn’t worth the risk, particularly in a survival situation in which medical assistance may not be available.

Heather Callaghan of Natural Blaze wrote:

Yogurt and deli meat can last a week to 10 days more than the “sell by” date. Salami at two to three weeks. Most fresh meats, especially poultry and seafood, should be cooked and eaten within days. Eggs a whopping FoodSaver V4840 2-in-1... Best Price: $149.99 Buy New $199.99 (as of 07:45 UTC - Details) five weeks after expiration. When in doubt, gently place eggs in a big bowl of cold water filled to the top. If the eggs float, toss them. If they “stand up” that just means they are not as fresh but are still okay to eat.

Packaged items can last a long time after expiration but after months you may notice a staleness and waxy taste which could be rancid oils. Packaged and canned items can generally last a year or more after the stamped date.

The key to keeping storable foods the longest, is cool, dry and airtight. Canned goods included. If you see bulging cans – do not open! It’s rare, but it could be botulism..

The bottom line is that expiration is perception and to follow your nose and your gut. If something smells or tastes funny, do not risk it! Common sense and intuition are our friends.

If you are curious about the safety of a specific food, Eatbydate.com has a database search function that can help. Simply type in the name of the product and hit search. It will bring up a list of articles that will provide information to help you make your decision. I searched “pasta” to determine the safety of a package that had been tucked away and exceeded its date by nearly a year. I found an article with the following chart, that provided variables like where the pasta had been stored and what type of pasta it was.

How Long Does Pasta Last Shelf Life Storage Expiration

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