Safely Eating Expired Foods

misa-chu:

no-more-ramen:

The food bank gave me a hand-out about how long you can safely eat unopened foods past their expiration dates, and I thought other people might find it helpful. 

DAIRY:

• Milk, cream: within 10 days past expiration date
• Soft cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese: consume within 14 days past expiration date
• Butter, hard cheese: consume within 3 months past expiration date (personal note: if cheese gets mold you can cut off the moldy parts the rest is still fine)
• Frozen butter: consume within 12 months past expiration date
• Eggs (in shells): consume within 1 month past expiration date
• Egg substitutes: consume within 10 days of expiration date. 

MEAT:

• Fresh: consume on or before expiration date
• Frozen: defrost in fridge or microwave, and eat immediately after defrosting. 
• Not do eat: meat with severe freeze burn, discolored meat, and meat not frozen before expiration date

MEAT & DAIRY SUBSTITUTES:

• Liquid products (rice milk, almond milk): consume withing 10 days past expiration date
• Shelf stable liquid products: consume within 12 months past expiration date
• Margarine: consume within 6 months past expiration date
• Meat substitutes (tofu, etc): consume on or before expiration date
• Frozen meat substitutes: consume within 12 months past expiration date if frozen before expiration date

DRIED & CANNED FOODS:

• Dried beans, pasta: consume indefinitely
• Dressings, mayo: consume within 12 months past expiration date
• Cereal, crackers: consume within 12 months past expiration date
• Canned foods: may be consumed indefinitely (except for pineapple and tomato)
• Jarred foods, canned tomato and pineapple: consume within 18 months past expiration date

OTHER:

• Fresh juice: consume within 3 months past expiration date
• Fresh bread, pastries: consume on or before expiration date (personal note, I find that sandwich bread is good to eat so long as it’s not stale or growing mold)
• Frozen bread: consume within 6 months past expiration date
• Fresh produce: ripe, edible, and mold-free
• Sliced melon: consume on or before expiration date
• Deli items, packaged by store: consume within 48 hours of expiration date
• Pre-packaged prepared foods packed by manufacturer, fresh: consume within 14 days past expiration date
• Pre-packaged prepared foods packed by manufacturer, frozen: consume within 12 months past expiration date

DO NOT EAT:

• Food that is stale, has insects, or mold
• Food in open, punctured, bulging, or seriously damaged cans
• Food in a jar that is leaking or has a broken seal
• Food that is discolored or has an off-odor
• Product has been thawed then re-frozen 

Please use your best judgement and when in doubt, throw it out. 

For eggs, just use the float test: if it floats its no good

That said, fresh eggs are far hardier than store bought because the shells havent been damaged by the washing process. As long as they havent been refrigerated beforehand, fresh eggs can be stored at room temperature for up to six weeks. Otherwise I consider fresh eggs good more or less indefinitely. I’ve had chickens for like 8 years now and have never encountered a bad egg.