Do you have to go by the exact expiration date on food, or is there a few days leeway?

Answer 1

I depends on the food. The expiration date is usually a guideline that tells you the last day when the manufacturer can guarantee that it will still be good.

For things that are sliced from a deli, like meats, I would go with the expiration date.

For thinks like milk and yogurt, there's a few days leeway. You can tell when milk is sour--if it is, don't drink it. If it isn't sour, it's okay to drink. Milk gets really sweet just before it turns, and I have often used it on my cereal then, and it hasn't ever harmed me.

Things like dry goods, such as flour, or pasta, are usually good past their expiration dates, as well. Again, let your senses be your guide: if it smells or tastes funny, don't eat it.

The stuff you really need to worry about are fresh meats, fish, and poultry. Bacteria in them can make you really sick if you use them after they have started to go bad, and you cannot always tell just by looking or smelling.

Canned goods are another tricky one. Cans that bulge are bad, and should just be thrown away. However, canned goods also have a long shelf life, and are generally not as expensive as their fresh equivalents. It's easier to just toss those if there is any question, rather than risking getting sick.

Stuff that is frozen, like entrees, usually have a few days leeway, as well. Again, like a lot of things I mentioned above, you should be able to tell if they have gone bad before the expiration, and they should be tossed. But baking up a frozen lasagne a week after the expiration on the carton shouldn't hurt you. It's the stuff that's weeks or months out of date that you should stay away from.

Hope that helps answer some of your question!

Answer 2

Like everyone said, some dates are use by & some dates are sell by; they usually say next to them/some foods have no dates on then nowadays, which I hate. Definately throw meat out if it's outdated;can make you extremely sick & even more dangerous for smaller children. I wouldn't worry too much about cereal, may get stale, but stale will not hurt you, just won't taste as good. Don't keep it for months though or it will get bugs or moldy, just like crackers & things like that. Milk I don't mess with; if doesn't smell good, throw away;if can't tell by smelling, take very small sip & if doesn't taste quite right, throw away, same with cheese or any milk product-follow dates on these really well. Can good keep longer than anything, I think. Not sure the exact amount of days/months you can keep, but they will eventually get rusty & stuff will taste more like the can if it's no good. Worth checking into. I've wondered exactly how long to keep these myself.

Answer 3

Usually there is going to be some leeway. Keep in mind that those dates are almost always "sell by" dates. The idea being that it can spend another day or two, etc. in the fridge. As for dry goods such as cereals, those dates are usually "best if used by." Using it after that means it might not taste as fresh.

Answer 4

The companies HAVE TO by law put a date on food.
Sometimes this will say Best before: or something like that.
Sometimes the date on the package will say Packed on:
But some goods will be ok years after..
Canned, and dry packaged goods last for a long time

Milk and other dairy smells when it is off or going off.
With most food you can tell if it is off by smelling it or tasting a (tiny) bit.
Don't be too worried...Don't eat it if you suspect anything is off.
some things will be fine. But There are varying factors involved.
Is the food vacum sealed?
Is it dry goods?
Has it been stored within the correct temp range?
The date on the tin/packet is not the be all and end all.
Use your head and your nose..

Answer 5

I usually give a few days leeway on most foods. A lot of times it's more of a "sell-by" date than anything. The highly perishable foods--milk, bread, etc.--you can tell anyway when it's starting to go.

Answer 6

It depends on the food, but most have a few days leeway.

Answer 7

There is a few days leeway but I would definatly be careful and check the food out before eating it.

Answer 8

It depends on the food. If it's a dairy product and it smells ok, I'll use it for 2 days after. If it's meat, I won't eat it even if it's like 2 days BEFORE the date. I got really bad food poisoning. I think the sense of smell is always a good way to tell if you should eat something.

Answer 9

First, you need to check whether it says "sell by" or "use by". If it says "sell by", there is definitely some leeway because they're expecting it to take you awhile to use it after you buy it. If it says "use by" though, you're better not to push your luck more than a day or two past the expiration, tops.

Answer 10

It depends on what kind of food it is, and whether or not you put it in the freezer. For example, water-bottles are labeled with experation dates but if you were to store the water in a freezer i doubt anything bad would happen to it. However, when it comes to dairy products or foods like them, i recommend not keeping them any longer than 7 days after their expiration date.