Expiration dates are a funny thing. People often get spooked when their favorite food item has passed the date that was printed on its packaging. People wonder if they will get sick from eating these items, and more often than not they are thrown away prematurely without even being given a chance.
There's no need to throw those goodies in the trash! This is because food is “still safe to consume after that date, but the flavor and texture quality will start to go down” as time progresses. As with anything, common sense should be used when evaluating the state of your food, but also avoid being too judgy.
Did you know that expiration dates on food aren't required by the federal government barring infant formula, according to the USDA. With that being said, the “dates on the food we eat are not an indicator of the product's safety” and are rather a helpful tool to be given to retailers and consumers alike.
In fact, here are 14 foods that are fine to eat past their expiration date, like always though- use your best judgement. Canned foods, frozen food, hard cheese, eggs, bread, cereal, dried pasta, sugar, milk, yogurt, potato chips, chocolate, peanut butter, and honey! Reference the following article for a deeper dive into why these foods were given the green light.
If you're still skeptical about if an item is okay to be eaten, remember that food gives us signs when it is no longer safe to eat. Spoiled foods develop an ‘off’ odor, flavor or texture. This is because microorganisms such as mold, yeast, and bacteria multiply on the food and cause them to spoil. Still unsure? Avoid food waste and visit your local food bank/charitable organization because food can still be donated after the date passes!
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