# Ignore Expiration Dates



## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

"*Best by," "Sell by," and all those other labels mean very little.*
By Nadia Arumugam
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010, at 10:18 AM ET

Expiration dates mean very littleThere's a filet mignon in my fridge that expired four days ago, but it seems OK to me. I take a hesitant whiff and detect no putrid odor of rotting flesh, no oozing, fetid cow juice&#8212;just the full-bodied aroma of well-aged meat. A feast for one; I retrieve my frying pan. This is not an isolated experiment or a sad symptom of my radical frugality. With a spirit of teenage rebellion, I disavow any regard for expiration dates. 

The fact is that expiration dates mean very little. Food starts to deteriorate from the moment it's harvested, butchered, or processed, but the rate at which it spoils depends less on time than on the conditions under which it's stored. Moisture and warmth are especially detrimental. A package of ground meat, say, will stay fresher longer if placed near the coldest part of a refrigerator (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit), than next to the heat-emitting light bulb. Besides, as University of Minnesota food scientist Ted Labuza explained to me, expiration dates address quality&#8212;optimum freshness&#8212;rather than safety and are extremely conservative. To account for all manner of consumer, manufacturers imagine how the laziest people with the most undesirable kitchens might store and handle their food, then test their products based on these criteria. 


With perishables like milk and meat, most responsible consumers (those who refrigerate their groceries as soon as they get home, for instance) have a three&#8211;to-seven-day grace period after the "Sell by" date has elapsed. As for pre-packaged greens, studies show that nutrient loss in vegetables is linked to a decline in appearance. When your broccoli florets yellow or your green beans shrivel, this signals a depletion of vitamins. But if they haven't lost their looks, ignore the printed date. Pasta and rice will taste fine for a year. Unopened packs of cookies are edible for months before the fat oxidizes and they turn rancid. Pancake and cake mixes have at least six months. *Canned items are potentially the safest foods around and will keep five years or more if stored in a cold pantry. Labuza recalls a seven-year-old can of chicken chunks he ate recently. "It tasted just like chicken," he said. *

Not only are expiration dates misleading, but there's no uniformity in their inaccuracy. Some manufacturers prefer the elusive "Best if used by," others opt for the imperative "Use by," and then there are those who litter their goods with the most unhelpful "Sell by" stamps. (I'm happy my bodega owner is clear on when to dump, but what about me?) Such disparities are a consequence of the fact that, with the exception of infant formula and some baby foods, package dates are unregulated by the federal government. And while some states do exercise oversight, there's no standardization. A handful of states, including Massachusetts and West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., require dating of some form for perishable foods. Twenty states insist on dating for milk products, but each has distinct regulations. Milk heading for consumers in Connecticut must bear a "Sell by" date not more than 12 days from the day of pasteurization. Dairies serving Pennsylvania must conform to 14 days.

That dates feature so prolifically is almost entirely due to industry practices voluntarily adopted by manufacturers and grocery stores. As America urbanized in the early 20th century, town and city dwellers resorted more and more to processed food. In the 1930s, the magazine Consumer Reports argued that Americans increasingly looked to expiration dates as an indication of freshness and quality. Supermarkets responded and in the 1970s some chains implemented their own dating systems. Despite the fact that in the '70s and '80s consumer groups and processors held hearings to establish a federally regulated system, nothing came of them.

These dates have no real legal meaning, either. Only last year, 7th Circuit Judge Richard Posner reversed the conviction of a wily entrepreneur who'd relabeled 1.6 million bottles of Henri's salad dressing with a new "Best when purchased by" date. Posner decided that the prosecutor had unjustly condemned the dressing as rancid, rotten, and harmful, when in fact there was no evidence to suggest that the mature product posed a safety threat.

Expiration dates are intended to inspire confidence, but they only invest us with a false sense of security. The reality is that the onus lies with consumers to judge and maintain the freshness and edibility of their food&#8212;by checking for offensive slime, rank smells, and off colors. Perhaps, then, we should do away with dates altogether and have packages equipped with more instructive guidance on properly storing foods, and on detecting spoilage. Better yet, we should focus our efforts on what really matters to our health&#8212;not spoilage bacteria, which are fairly docile, but their malevolent counterparts: disease-causing pathogens like salmonella and Listeria, which infect the food we eat not because it's old but as a result of unsanitary conditions at factories or elsewhere along the supply chain. A new system that could somehow prevent the next E. coli outbreak would be far more useful to consumers than a fairly arbitrary set of labels that merely (try to) guarantee taste.



http://www.slate.com/id/2244249?yahoo=y


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

I just ate a Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Square, baked apple flavor; it was pretty good too. The date on the package is Sept. 05, 05. :run:

This thing contains a lot of chemicals and stuff. Most likely would have been good for another 20 years or so. :nana:


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Bah, my kids annoy me by checking expiry dates....I say if it still smells and looks good then it's good to eat. They hate it because I reguarly serve food that expired in 07.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

In 1982 my dad and I ate a bread roll from an Army C or K ration from 1944. I'm still alive. He isn't.


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## Natalie Rose (Jan 14, 2010)

I read that online earlier today and got to thinking about it.
I wish I could find out more info on expiration dates on OTC medications.
I had been at the store earlier buying stuff for my first aid kit and I went through all the items of each thing I was buying to get the newest manufactured, as in the furthest expiration date out.
I don't know if stuff like that starts to lose its mojo after the recommended date or if they are just legally required to put a date on them and just go with a random 2 or 3 year expiration date.
Stuff like antibiotic cream isn't as much as a concern but I wonder if motrin or benadryl, things like that can chemically change after a certain time and be harmful.
I am wondering if I forgot to rotate out say Children's Motrin or Allergy meds how long it would be good for after the date.
Usually stuff like that wouldn't even be around the house that long but I bought this stuff for my emergency kit.


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## TheMartianChick (May 26, 2009)

Natalie Rose said:


> I read that online earlier today and got to thinking about it.
> I wish I could find out more info on expiration dates on OTC medications.
> I had been at the store earlier buying stuff for my first aid kit and I went through all the items of each thing I was buying to get the newest manufactured, as in the furthest expiration date out.
> I don't know if stuff like that starts to lose its mojo after the recommended date or if they are just legally required to put a date on them and just go with a random 2 or 3 year expiration date.
> ...


Most meds last a loooong time past the expiration date. I have some Flexoril from an injury in 1994. It still works when my back starts to act up!


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2010)

"Expiration dates mean very little."

This is not true and only serves to confuse the issue.

The problem is that many consumers do not understand what phrases such as "best by" and "sell by" mean.

Except for items such as perishable meats, dairy, eggs, and the like as well as baby foods and formulas there are NO expiration dates on foods. "Best by" is NOT an expiration date. It means what it says, that the food in the package will be at its BEST if used before the indicated date. That 'best' is predicated upon normal kitchen storage conditions. Improve the conditions you improve the storage life. Improve the packaging you improve the storage life.

But even if the 'best by' date has long since passed this does not necessarily mean the food is bad or even unpalatable. Everyone has a different idea of what 'palatable' means. For some folks who can barely abide canned veggies to begin with it takes very little negative change to make them completely unpalatable. For others who are not so particular they can go a lot further. Witness the discussions about Spam and other such foods over the years. "Best by" dates are not put on packages for the benefit of the consumer, but for the protection of the packers. Without such dates you have no idea as to whether that can of peas you are considering was packed this year or five years ago. But you'll know when you get it home and open it. And if they should prove to be faded, tasteless and mushy (more so than canned peas already are) who are you likely to blame - the grocer or the packer? The packers want to be sure you know who is to blame. 

"Sell by" dates are usually for perishable items such as meat, dairy, and eggs. The reason is obvious - to prevent consumers from being unwittingly sold old food that is about to or is already beginning to spoil. Perishable foods are just that - perishable. The actual shelf life of any of those foods are hugely dependent on its storage conditions. It is entirely possible for a food to still be well within its 'sell by' date and thoroughly spoiled because it was not stored properly. And it's entirely possible for it to be way beyond its date and still be completely edible and likely palatable. Storage conditions and a person's individual perception of palatability rule the day.

"Best by" and "sell by" dates do mean a lot. But only if you understand what they are for and what they are predicated upon. Many dozens of discussions on this and other boards have shown me that plenty of folks do not.

.....Alan.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

stranger said:


> "
> With perishables like milk and meat, most responsible consumers (those who refrigerate their groceries as soon as they get home, for instance) have a three&#8211;to-seven-day grace period after the "Sell by" date has elapsed.


May be just the brand I buy but they nail it pretty close on our milk, I've occasionally been able to get 1 extra day out of it, but it usually starts having a sour taste on or a day after the sell by date.

I will go a year or 2 past on canned goods and just finished a jar of peanut butter that expired in 2007


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## beaglady (Oct 7, 2002)

I'm a big fan of 'best by' and 'sell by' dates. After the grocery stores get rid of items that are close to those dates, they are bought by discount grocers that sell them at bargain prices. My local store has things like butter from a dairy that doesn't allow RBST for under $2 a pound. Right now I'm snacking on a Quaker granola bar that had macademia nuts, dried bananas & coconut, bought in 24 pack for around $2.


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

They should change it to say dummy dates. If my milk is sour or curdling, it has gone bad, if that cracker is chewy instead of crunchy it has gone bad. USUALLY the dates are about right, given some leeway, You have to remember though, some product has been sitting in a warehouse or store shelf for months and sometimes years. I bought a package of cornbread mix from my big box retailer made it,it never rose,(no expiration date)I called the # on the package to complain and after reading them the production code found out it was 7 years old.

Also the processes and chemicals used are different than if you made it yourself. Look at bread, homemade bread doesn't have the preservatives of store bought bread and doesn't last as long. My grandmother always ate eggs up to months past the expiration dates because "They used to keep eggs for months in the old days and it didn't kill her" Well after some research I found out that store bought eggs are washed and that washes the protective coating off of the shell and cuts the longevity from around 5 months to 1 month.

I usually follow the expiration dates give or take some time, if an item is only good for 14 days I wouldn't push it more than a day or two although something that lasts 5 years maybe give or take a yr or so.

Medicine is not one I would play around with. True some may last virtually forever(with proper storage) and some only lose potency over time. Others may break down and chemically change. I prefer to take as little medicine as possible but those chemicals that none of us can pronounce could become lethal.


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## Pouncer (Oct 28, 2006)

Here you all go:

http://www.stilltasty.com/


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## JIL (Aug 25, 2007)

Just remember .... If we could smell or see or taste food poisoning from food we eat we wouldn't have cases of food poisoning, be wise in all of this. But I do agree that "sell by" & "Best by" are not always a sign the food is not anymore good. a dented can is not something I would eat from. JMO JIL


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Natalie Rose said:


> ...
> I wish I could find out more info on expiration dates on OTC medications...


My pharmacist told me that everything he has is good for at least a year. I'm sure that excludes certain things that have to be mixed fresh and expire in 10 days, but as a general rule, they can be held for much longer than the date on the box.

He said the expiration date marks when the product STARTS losing it's potency but doesn't necessarily mean it becomes dangerous to use after that date. He said that if it's a year out of date, I might have to double the dose to get the effectiveness it had when fresh. 

There are exceptions to every rule, so you should research each and every med you have to determine if it slowly loses potency or if it morphs into something you would not want to put in your body. I'm sure there are a few things out there that can turn nasty in short order, thankfully they are most likely prescription than OTC. 

I believe aspirin is good even after it falls apart. It changes color when it goes bad. Many things with "candy coating" are safe inside an air tight coating so they should last much longer than the expiration date. 

Use common sense and store them in a cool, dry, dark place to extend their shelf life as much as possible. In addition it would be good to learn what natural herbs can be used to replace OTC meds. You could start an herb garden in the yard.


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

beaglady said:


> I'm a big fan of 'best by' and 'sell by' dates. After the grocery stores get rid of items that are close to those dates, they are bought by discount grocers that sell them at bargain prices. My local store has things like butter from a dairy that doesn't allow RBST for under $2 a pound. Right now I'm snacking on a Quaker granola bar that had macademia nuts, dried bananas & coconut, bought in 24 pack for around $2.


 Yup I have a great discount grocer in my area and we regualrly get yummy food and great food from high end reasteraunts for next to nothing. I got organic milk for 50 cents a gallon there!


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I asked my local grocer about this, and was told that it's illegal for ANY food seller, discount or otherwise, to sell food past its sell by date. They can be fined and shut down. She did not know, however, if it's a federal or state law, so things may differ where the previous posters live. 

I don't purchase anything past the sell by date. I will rarely eat anything past the expiration date. You're taking enough of a risk by eating big chain foods. I don't need to save a little money and risk some food-borne problem. Botulism doesn't look like a lot of fun.


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

Botulism dosen't come from food thats stored to long, it comes from food that is processed improperly that has been exposed to the botulism toxin that lives in the dirt. Also it is illegal for stores to sell food past its "Use By" date. However, stores are allowed to sell food after it has passed the "Best Until" "Best Before" "Sell By" or "Display Until" dates stamped on the sides of packages.


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## insocal (May 15, 2005)

I remember when my dad found a box of corn flakes down in my grandmother's cellar on her ranch with all her home-canned stuff that had expired 5 years before. He read her the riot act, but not because he thought they would harm her. He thought there was no need to eat old expired food when she HAD the money to get fresh, and the idea of stale corn flakes just annoyed him. Of course back then, in the early 70's, cereal boxes had waxed paper liners and not sealed plastic bags.

If you shop wisely and rotate stock, there really IS no need to eat 5-yr-old corn flakes. Grandma was just getting a little off her game at that point.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

Ernie said:


> I don't purchase anything past the sell by date. I will rarely eat anything past the expiration date. You're taking enough of a risk by eating big chain foods. I don't need to save a little money and risk some food-borne problem. Botulism doesn't look like a lot of fun.


Foods like yogurt, cheese, sour cream, dried noodles, jams, pickles, boxed meals like hamburger helper or mac and cheese, cereal, canned veggies and tuna are perfectly fine past their expiry date as long as the package is in good shape and it's been stored properly. I don't risk it with fresh meats unless they've been frozen, though.


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## NCLee (Aug 4, 2009)

From what I understand, the Sell By date is used so that grocery store stocking clerks can keep up with the food and put the oldest at the front of the shelf. It's a tool for the store, and not an indicator of the condition of the food. 

Agree, Best By is the estimated time before the nutritional value of things like canned foods start to decline, based on decent storage conditons. Basically the same as the Use By dates. Again, for canned foods, it has nothing to do with the safety of the product. If canned foods are done correctly, as a general rule, they are safe to eat as long as the seal isn't broken. There may be color and flavor changes, along with the loss of nutritional value. 

Excluding fresh foods and medical supplies, I've stopped going by those "dates" on products. Except for keeping the oldest stuff on the front of the pantry shelf. I use the same ground rules that I use for home canned / processed foods. Sight, sound (seal releasing) and aroma. If it's going rancid, your nose will tell you. If you see mold, foaming, slime, bulging cans, leaking cans, etc. it's time to toss it. 

Personally, I wish all foods carried the picked, slaughtered, harvested, canned, and/or packaged dates, as applicable to the product. I want to know how long xyz has been stockpiled in a warehouse before it reached the store shelves. After that date, it's fine to add those other dates if a producer wishes to do so, for whatever reason they please. 

Since for the most part, we don't know who within a company makes the decisons about those dates. Sales & marketing to increase turnover? Legal team to reduce potential liability? Laboratory with dates based on actual conditions relating to each batch? 

The reason why I say that is because I've seen things with a long, long, long, shelf life, have a date of maybe a year. 

Baking Soda is an example. 
http://www.armandhammer.com/FAQ/BakingSoda.aspx
The shelf life is three years. The expiration date is located on the bottom of the box and pouch. 

Yet, I just went to the pantry and tested a box of baking soda that's been open for a while. (Don't know how long.) Mixed some with white vinegar and it had plenty of fizze. The expiration date on the bottom of the box is 07/02/99. If I had followed the date, that box would have been put into the trash over 10 years ago.

Lee


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## Pink_Carnation (Apr 21, 2006)

Product dating is not required by Federal regulations although dating of some foods is required by 15 states. Calendar dates are found primarily on perishable foods such as dairy products, eggs, meat and poultry. Coded dates might appear on shelf-stable products such as cans and boxes of food. 

Infant formula and some baby food is regulated by the FDA and it is illegal to sell it past the expiration date however the rest is just based on appearing uncontaminated and free from spoilage...so if the cheese is moldy they can't sell it but if the sell by date was 2 months ago and it isn't moldy they can sell it. Depending on what state you are in.


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## JohnL751 (Aug 28, 2008)

So, what about the smoked cheddar cheese in my refrigerator? It is vac sealed 1 1/2 # blocks, looks and tastes fine. The sell by date stamped on each package is Nov. 2002.


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## Guest (Mar 1, 2010)

If you see no signs of mold on it then it should still be good to eat. Likely going to be very sharp though.

.....Alan.


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

http://www.stilltasty.com/


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

mnn2501 said:


> May be just the brand I buy but they nail it pretty close on our milk, I've occasionally been able to get 1 extra day out of it, but it usually starts having a sour taste on or a day after the sell by date.
> 
> I will go a year or 2 past on canned goods and just finished a jar of peanut butter that expired in 2007


I have found the milk thing , if it stays unopened , i can get 3 days past the expiration at most without tasting a difference but if it has been opend it stinks on the day of to day after the expiration

i think they know how much of the bacteria are left in the milk at bottling and how fast they grow and have just about pegged that expiration date at least on one brand we buy.

as for canned goods i try to use them up by the date , but i let them go over by 2 years some times without problem also.

making yogurt or pudding with milk near it's expiration is a good use for it , you re pasturize it so it gives it a bit of extended life.


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## Hobbes (Apr 1, 2008)

I shop a lot at bent and dent stores.
If it is in a metal can, the expiry date thingy is just a suggestion to me - as long as the physical can has not been compromised or the dents close to the seals.

If it is in a plastic container (fruit cups, juice, etc). they get kinda close on their dates since it is somewhat permeable, and I skip them. Bad experiences, too.


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## NamasteMama (Jul 24, 2009)

A.T. Hagan said:


> If you see no signs of mold on it then it should still be good to eat. Likely going to be very sharp though.
> 
> .....Alan.


You can eat moldy cheese, if it makes you squeemish, just cut the mold off. I personally love moldy cheese, Brie being a favorite. Lots of pennacillin!


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## CherieOH (Jun 10, 2005)

I rarely pay attention to expiration dates on canned goods and never thought to check out my soda pop cans. We hosted our family's game night last weekend and my son noticed his Coke had expired so of course everyone else had to check the bottom of their cans. Most had expired by a year but the family was good-natured about it. My dd poured her's in a wine glass and said 2009 was a very good year. LOL


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