7 Foods You Can Eat After Their Expiration Date

The expiration date is always indicated on the packaging. Usually, this means that the product cannot be eaten after a certain date. But not everything is so clear. Let’s figure out which products remain tasty and safe even after the expiration date, and when expired products should be thrown out.

What do the dates on the packaging mean?

The expiration date is the date after which the product may lose or change some of its properties. An expired product cannot be used.

Shelf life is the guaranteed period during which the product retains its consumer properties. But this does not mean that an expired product becomes inedible.

Important

The expiration date on the packaging is sometimes just a reminder for sellers or a marketing ploy.

The sell-by date is primarily information for the store employee about how long the product can lie on the shelf, and when it is time to remove the expired product. Often the expiration date is indicated with a reserve – this way the buyer is encouraged to buy a fresher product.

Compliance with the expiration date or storage life indicated on the packaging is not a guarantee of quality. Sometimes the use of a product even with an acceptable expiration date is impossible due to violations of storage conditions. And, conversely, you can extend the official expiration date by creating optimal storage conditions.

1. Milk

The shelf life of milk depends on how it is processed. Pasteurized milk can be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator for up to five days after the last date on the package.

Important

It is better not to consume expired dairy products with a short shelf life. They may contain dangerous microorganisms: staphylococci, E. coli.

Sterilized and ultra-pasteurized milk does not contain microorganisms, so it cannot go sour or curdle. The standard shelf life of such milk is six months, but even after one or two months, the product does not lose its qualities.

2. Meat

Raw meat can be kept in the cold for up to two days after purchase. Vacuum packaging significantly extends the shelf life. And if you manage to freeze the meat before the expiration date, you can keep it fresh for up to 6-12 months.

Expired meat products should not be eaten, stored, or frozen.

3. Bread

Bread becomes stale after its expiration date, but is still edible.

Nutritionists consider stale bread to be healthier. The main thing is to make sure that the expired product has not started to mold.

Mold is a signal that bread should be thrown out. It contains mycotoxins that can cause poisoning and intoxication of the body. Some types of mold cause severe liver damage and even cancer.

4. Chocolate

Expired chocolate may develop a white coating. Such chocolate or candies are not suitable for gift-giving but are safe to eat.

The “gray” coating is simply crystallized sugar or solidified cocoa butter.

5. Sauces

Sauces contain salt, sugar, and vinegar or are considered preservatives in themselves, so the product can be stored for some time without compromising taste and health.

Ketchup will not spoil at room temperature for a month, and can be stored in the refrigerator for six months or even more.

The shelf life of mustard, according to the information on the packaging, is no more than four months. But due to the fact that the product is a natural preservative, in reality, it can be stored twice as long – up to eight months.

Mayonnaise in a sealed package with a dispenser can be stored in the refrigerator for the entire shelf life – up to four months, in other packages – about two months.

6. Pasta

Pasta that does not contain eggs can be stored for up to two to three years.

If you find an expired package of pasta at home, do not rush to throw it away: if there are no external defects on the packaging, the product does not have a rancid smell, and traces of moth or bug activity, there will be no harm.

7. Cereals

Can cereals be used after their expiration date? It is often mistakenly believed that cereals can be stored forever, and they are stored in huge quantities.

In fact, cereals can be stored without any loss of quality for no more than two years:

• Hercules – up to 6 months;
• millet – up to 8 months;
• semolina – up to 10 months;
• buckwheat – up to 20 months;
• rice – up to 1.5 years;
• pearl barley – up to 2 years.

Of course, these deadlines may have deviations in either direction.

If the grain is infested with bugs or food moths, it will have to be thrown out before the expiration date. Conversely, if the expiration date is slightly exceeded, but the grain does not have a rancid or sour smell, or signs of mold or parasites, it can be used.

It is important to remember that any cereal loses its properties over time: products with a high-fat content, such as millet and oatmeal, quickly go rancid, while cereals with a high percentage of protein oxidize.

Timeless Products

There are products with a virtually unlimited shelf life:

• honey;
• sugar;
• salt;
• vinegar;
• beans and legumes.

So if you plan to replenish your strategic reserve, form it from this list.

Saving does not mean stocking up on food without measuring and trying to save expired products at the cost of your own health. Try to plan your expenses, do not buy more than you can eat, and learn to cook dishes from what is in the refrigerator, without waiting for the expiration date.