How closely do you follow food "expiration dates"?

[apes3978]

I use to be a real stickler with these (for myself that is)... I'd go no more than say, two weeks after an expiration date on canned goods and two days tops on milk... Yogurt I'd maybe go a week past date (and still pretty much follow that rule and the same with my "two day" milk rule)... I still look at expiration dates, but I'm not as strict as I was with canned goods (For instance, I don't think anything of a month to six weeks past date on canned items now)...

How about you: Follow them closely? A little "give" past date? Pay no attention at all?

[alex]

I have friends who throw food away that was cooked the day before, because they feel its unsafe to eat.I simply hate throwing food away ,I say if it smells ok, then eat or drink it, U would be surprised how long this stuff lasts for.They only put these expire dates on, to protect themselves. Apparently our bodies decompose a lot longer these days when we die, because of all the crap they put in the food.

[EmergencyIan]

If it's an expiration date, I follow it pretty closely.

- Ian

[SentientApe]

"Expiration" dates are not "Best if used by" dates.

Expiration is generally only used on medication, and means that the shelf life of the active ingredients is passed, and the desired results are greatly reduced or wholly ineffective. If it's the only aspirin I have left, I'll take it, unless it has decomposed to vinegar (odor indicates the chemical change). Otherwise, it's in the bin.

Unless I am mistaken, the only food with an expiration date is milk. We're pretty good on our purchase/usage, that it rarely lasts more than a couple days past the date and, even then, very rarely turns. Even then, the nose knows.

As far as foods' "Best if used or frozen by" dates (wording differs), I use these as a strong guideline. Sure, I want it "best," but I consider myself a good judge on what the item is and how it's been stored. That frozen salmon that was six months past its "use by" date got cooked up and fed to my turtles. A "use by" date on a loaf of bread is invalid if I have had it in the freezer since the day I purchased it.

Raw meat? Very strict, as I am not stupid. But I rarely hit those dates, because (both as a cook and the person who does most of the food shopping) I rush to boil, fry, bake, or otherwise cook up or freeze all meat before it goes bad.

Refrigerated dough (crescent rolls, pie crusts, etc) often expires in my possession, and I still bake it unless (once) it seems to have turned when I open it.

Dry foods will expire in my pantry; whether it gets used or tossed depends on the item. Canned items are good to go, unless it's meat or some soups, and even then it depends how many years have transpired.

Generally, if the refrigerated item has been opened -- especially in the case of cheese and condiments -- it gets tossed as soon as I see that the date has been passed.

[Mikey]

Sometimes on canned food i'll eat it after the exp date

I think exp dates are put there so you throw stuff out and buy more - I wouldn't be surprised

Bottled water has an exp date for crying out loud

[Gorn Captain]

If it doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger...

[torgospizza]

I sell meat for a living and I get asked this all the time. I have an official answer ("Use it or freeze it by the sell-by date.") and an off-the-record answer ("Always trust your nose. If it's bad, you'll know it."). When it comes to regular meat like steaks, I'd think nothing of eating something three days past the sell-by date if it's been kept under 41°F, and lunch meat I'd feel fine about eating up to a couple weeks past date. There are so many nitrates in bologna, those dates are there to cover the manufacturers' behinds--it'll be fine a good deal longer than they suggest.

[megomania]

"Expiration" dates are not "Best if used by" dates.

Unless I am mistaken, the only food with an expiration date is milk. We're pretty good on our purchase/usage, that it rarely lasts more than a couple days past the date and, even then, very rarely turns. Even then, the nose knows.

Cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream, eggs...basically everything in the dairy aisle has an expiration date.

[Brown Bear]

I laughed reading this thread, only because I just ate a bag of popcorn tonight that was outdated six months ago.

[Hedji]

There was a guy on the Rebel Force Radio podcast who ate a vintage bowl of C-3PO's Cereal on the show.

Dairy and Meat, I play it safe. I don't expect it'll send me to the hospital, but my poor wife has to live with me if bad beef makes me gassy.

[Nostalgiabuff]

I will eat it if it is within a few months, beyond that it goes. except dairy of course which I toss as soon as it expires. my mom was terrible with keeping and eating food long past its sell by date. and by long I mean years. when we cleaned out her pantry after she got sick this past September, there was stuff that expired in the mid nineties, I kid you not. had she lived she would have pitched a fit that we threw it out too. my children knew for years not to eat anything at grandmas house unless they check the date or ask my wife or I

[Gorn Captain]

Too much stuff that is still good gets thrown away, while so many people are starving.
I just use my nose to decide what's still good.

[Earth 2 Chris]

If it's dairy based...it's gone by it's expiration date, or perhaps just a few days beyond. It gets the nose test then.

I threw out a bunch of cold medication a few weeks back. We had a medicine cabinet full of stuff we hadn't touched in two years!

Chris

[Mikey]

Too much stuff that is still good gets thrown away, while so many people are starving.
I just use my nose to decide what's still good.

Very well said.

I bet people in Africa would be glad to get that 6 month outdated can of Chicken Chowmein

[enyawd72]

I found that by ignoring the dates on my milk I end up with lots of free yogurt and cheese.