How safe is it to eat 'Expired' food and drinks, like Chips, Popcorns and Mountain Dew, Coke?

Question

Some are like January 2006, some are May 2006, and some just expired for a couple of weeks.

And, yeah some are from Last year.

How Sick can a person get eat expired food/drinks?

So, how about if the soda is in the trunk of the car for very long and weather is very hot (100 degrees) does that make a difference?

And, at the worst scenario, what's the worst disease I can get by eating expired foods?

Is getting Cancer possible?

Answer 1

How many times have you heard the joke about what happens to sour cream when it goes bad? Or, how can sour cream even have an expiration date? What happens, it turns sweet? But how often have you picked something out from the back of the refrigerator and discovered that the expiration date on the still-unopened package was yesterday? What do you do? Do you dare open it? If so, do you dare eat it? With this in mind, here are few pointers, tips and perhaps surprising facts about expiration dates and food.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about expiration dating is that dating is not required by US federal law for any foods except infant formula and baby foods. Not only are expiration dates mandatory for these products, but these products must actually withdrawn by their expiration date. When it comes to dairy products, laws vary by state, but when it comes to all other foods everywhere, slapping an expiration date on the product is decided by only one entity: the manufacturer of that product.

As if that weren't bad enough add to it this unnerving information. Well, unnerving unless you're one of those types who think the government is already regulating big business too much. Even if the manufacturer is kind enough to let you know when his product will send you to the bathroom to sell Buuuuuicks or, worse, to the hospital, stores are not legally required to remove expired products from shelves. I've known a store in Hawaii who was shut down for removing the expiration date and selling expired foods.

There are three different types of expiration dates and, naturally, some are about as clear as extemporaneous remark by George W. Bush.

"Use by" means THIS is the expiration date. Don't buy it if your Far Side daily calendar is set after this date. This is the only expiration guideline that means exactly what it says.

"Sell by" means that this is the date that stores who duly decided to protect their customers by removing expired food pull it off shelves by this date. But you can still buy it on this date and use it. Maybe. Usually. Sometimes. Seriously, though, some dairy products are still good up to a week after this date. In fact, milk generally remains safe to drink 7 to 10 days after the date on the label. Fresh meat, poultry and fish should be all cooked within 1 to 2 days of purchase, and should NEVER be purchased beyond the "sell by" date.

"Best if used by" means that the flavor or the quality of the product is adversely affected after this date. Of course, since any container of food is going to taste at least slightly different to whomever eats it, the term "best" is an abstract modifier at, well, best.

DON"T EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING THAT IS SPOILED OR EXPIRED. YOU MAY GET VERY VERY VERY SICK.

Answer 2

I found this at the consumer affairs website:

They don't mean as much as many people think they do. Most food is still edible after the expiration date but may not be very tasty. (Of course, lots of packaged food isn't much good before the expiration date, but that's another question).

Most people are surprised to find out that:

Stores are not legally required to remove food once the expiration date has passed. They are strictly "advisory" in nature.
Dating is not federally required, except for infant formula and baby food. States have varying laws. Most states require that milk and other perishables be sold before the expiration date.

The major codes are:

Sell by Don't buy the product after this date. This is the "expiration date."
Best if used by Flavor or quality is best by this date but the product is still edible thereafter.
Use by This is the last day that the manufacturer vouches for the product's quality.

So, it doesn't look like you have anything to worry about concerning the products you're talking about, much less cancer.

bon appetit

Answer 3

Eating Out Of Date Food

Answer 4

If the chips don't taste stale then eat them.
Pop never used to have an expiration date so 15 years ago you never knew how old it was anyway.
If it says Best If Used By then all they are saying is it MIGHT loose flavor after that date, that it is Best if consumed by then.
I wouldn't eat any meat that has expired though.

Answer 5

It's okay to eat and drink any of that. However, you may find that some of the older stuff doesn't taste right (especially if it's been open). Soda from last year may have no taste; it will be like drinking seltzer water.

You don't normally get sick from processed items because of all the preservatives and chemicals. It's the stuff like yoghurt, dairy products and "fresh" items.

Answer 6

depends on what the food is and how long it's been expired....soda is usually ok....in 2002 i saw soda left from 1995...not a good idea....but my grandfater had plenty of soda from 1999 and 2000 and it wasn't bad.....

chips might usually be stale....if you try one and it's stale you should throw them out...if they aren't stale then i don't think any big health problems would occur...i don't think you can get cancer from eating expired food.....

i think your biggest worry will be whether the popcorn and chips taste good.....

i think at worst you'd get a stomach ache.....i'd watch some of the foods that expired last year but if it's a couple of weeks i think you're fine

Answer 7

I think it's ok to drink 'expired' sodas. We've had them here before and no one ever got sick. Chips are probably ok too if it hasn't been too long. I wouldn't want to be eating chips that have expired more than 2 months ago tho,.

Anyway, why would anyone want to eat and drink something old? Is it a bet or something that you have going on with you and friends? Just throw the garbage away.

Answer 8

It is not safe and depends on what food you are talking about. Most of these foods have preservatives or other forms of chemicals and most of chemicals have a expiration time after which they do not act the way they are supposed to.
So as a rule do not eat foods whach have an expiration date.

Answer 9

Expired food and drinks can make you sick due to the fact that after a certain period mould takes over the expires food and after you eat it the mould releases toxins in your body that can make you or even kill you depending on how many times you've done this. There diffent species of mould more deadly than others. Don't eat expired food!!!

Answer 10

Some foods are OK if you comsume them after the date. On soda, it is a BEST WHEN USED BY date. Chips and popcorn will just taste stale. You can get sick from outdated diary, but it will taste like crap, so you would not want to eat it. Also, old pancake mix has been known to kill some people, so be careful with that. My theory is, if it still doesn't smell like crap, have mold on it or taste like crap, it is probably OK.