have you never eat expired Food?Expiration Dates Really Matter?

Question

This brings us to terminology. The actual term "Expiration Date" refers to the last date a food should be eaten or used. Last means last -- proceed at your own risk.
Sell by" date. The labeling "sell by" tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires. This is basically a guide for the retailer, so the store knows when to pull the item. This is not mandatory, so reach in back and get the freshest. The issue is quality of the item (freshness, taste, and consistency) rather than whether it is on the verge of spoiling. Paul VanLandingham, EdD, a senior faculty member at the Center for Food and Beverage Management of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., tells WebMD the "sell by" date is the last day the item is at its highest level of quality.
Best if used by (or before)" date. This refers strictly to quality, not safety. This date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date. Sour

"Born on" date. This is the date of manufacture and has been resurrected recently to date beer. Beer can go sub-par after three months. "It is affected by sun," VanLandingham says. The light can reactivate microorganisms in the beer. That's why you have to be especially careful with beer in clear bottles, as opposed to brown or green.
"Use by" date. This is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product.
Milk. Usually fine until a week after the "Sell By" date.
Eggs. OK for 3-5 weeks after you bring them home (assuming you bought them before the "sell by" date). VanLandingham says double-grade As will go down a grade in a week but still be perfectly edible.
Poultry and seafood. Cook or freeze this within a day or two.
Beef and pork. Cook or freeze within three to five days.
Purchase the product before the date expires.
If perishable, take the food home immediately after purchase.

for the i-d-i-o-t the ask me why i ask if i know the answer my idea is to share info if you don't like keep going.

Answer 1

I prefer my food without a fur coat on it.

And did you know that certain foods have enzymes that start the deteriorating process soon after they hit the supermarket shelves and great care should be taken not to eat out of date food.

Believe me it can be very dangerous and could lead to food poisoning that can leave you with dangerous levels of toxins in your blood stream which can lead to septicaemia.

Mind you that is the worst case scenario, however do let your common sense prevail here will you a qucik sniff of the food should suffice.

Answer 2

For canned foods I mainly look at the can itself, whether it's rusting out or some unexplained puffing or denting.

Reaching into the back may not always guarantee that you're getting the newest canned item. Some markets rotate the stock while others just push cans back... depends upon how mindful the stocking clerk is.

For fresh ingredients you can tell when the product is inedible.
Milk will curdle or smell sour.

Eggs are pretty much indestructible if stored properly. I've kept eggs a month or two beyond it's sell by date with no problems at all.

Meats start to stink if in the refrigerator too long. At that point, it's best to throw out. Freezing the stinky meat won't help either since it's already bad.

Beer... hmmm... that doesn't really sit around my house too long. I did have some canned beer (1 year old) that someone drank with no problems at all.

Answer 3

Yap, very much so. However it is possible to get away with it without any consequences but it is important to keep an eye on expiration dates because food manufacturers use preservatives that have a certain chemical shelf life after which they decompose to form noxious substances. The other thing is that the label expiry date is usually stretched beyond the reasonable time during which the food item retains the original taste. I wouldn't use any tinned food with an expired date on it. It's not worthy my money no safe for my family.
I must say that, notwithstanding the aforesaid consequences, most of the groceries distributed to the poor for free and the starving usually carries an expired date or will be within weeks before expiration andthey use it and survive. Only God knows how, just as much as he takes care of those members of our society who scrounge for food in the trash cans and dumpsters and do not contract diseases as easily as the majority people would under similar situations.

Answer 4

The expiry date, to me, is a guideline for how long it's been on the shelf. I've always heard that you've got a week past that date when the food still tastes fine, after that, you'd better smell it first. If it's juice, it still smells fine, but if it's old, it's fizzy when it's not supposed to be. Yuck.

I once forgot about a Tupperware of turkey gravy in the refrigerator for about four months. When I opened the container and poured it down the drain, a neighbor smelled it two houses away (I'm not joking).

Answer 5

From a non-technical viewpoint (even though I have worked as cook in the food industry), I tend to follow my nose quite a bit. Many foods will start to smell differently (especially dairy and meat) once they go beyond the expiration date, due to the slow decay (spoilage) starting to take place. Within my home, I will smell it and if it smells normal and is not very far (within 5-10 days) of expiration date, I will use it. Your nose is not scientific, but it will guide you most times. Keep in mind, the dates that are established need to be very conservative to cover any chances of liabilty. If prepping food at work, I will always go by the dates to avoid putting my company at risk.

Answer 6

OK tough question. Open the package smell, if it has a different smell than fresh meat discard. Color, if it has any green coloring, ar in chicken a very bright yellow color, discard. Otherwise, bag it in freezer bags and freeze. Or cook it right away. I buy a lot of my meat marked down because of the dates. I have had to discard very little. Quality? Poo! Waste of research time. Common sense is the best research. The meat will not loose quality, only if cooked wrong!

Answer 7

You should be fine. I work with someone that eats yogurt months after the expiration date. If it tasted ok, you're ok. You would have known right away if the yogurt was spoiled. Don't worry!

Answer 8

i have eaten food after the sell buy date but with meat you have to be careful.You can smell if meat is going off and ive had that even before the sell buy date so go with what you can smell with meat and milk and with cheese if it hasnt got green on it it will be fine to eat.

Answer 9

I eat expired food all the time...
The other day I was launching food with my trebuchet (it launches squash 180 feet) and I launched 5 year old Rice pudding...
It smelled fine, but I didn't eat it, it probaly would have tasted fine

Answer 10

Mum managed for years before "use by" dates had even been thought of...sniff it and see is the general rule in our house ...oo er missus!!