A familiar scenario unfolds as you reach for that milk carton in the fridge. The expiration date was yesterday. Now, you’re faced with a decision that’s all too common: to pour, sniff, or toss.
Many of us have encountered this moment of hesitation, and it’s not just about milk. Those little dates stamped on our food, from the pantry to the fridge, can lead to confusion and unnecessary waste.
The truth is that expiration dates are not the definitive guide to food safety that we might expect.
Janilyn Hutchings, a food safety specialist from StateFoodSafety, clarifies that food dating is more about food quality than safety.
Except for baby formula, these dates are not government-regulated or standardised. Instead, they are suggestions from manufacturers indicating when a product is at its peak quality.
Jennifer Kaplan of the Culinary Institute of America echoed this sentiment, describing expiration dates as a manufacturer’s ‘vague estimate’ of when the product is at its freshest. She points out that many foods remain safe to consume beyond their dates.
Misunderstandings surrounding expiration dates have significant consequences. According to ReFED, 38 per cent of America’s food supply went unsold or uneaten in 2021.
That’s 80 million tons of food, or nearly 149 billion meals, that could have been consumed. This isn’t just about wasted resources; it’s also an environmental concern. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimated that 8 per cent to 10 per cent of all greenhouse gas pollution is caused by food loss and waste.
It’s important to note that, aside from baby formula, there is no authoritative body policing expiration dates. The concept didn’t exist until the 1950s when Marks & Spencer began using them internally. It wasn’t until 1970 that these dates were made visible to consumers.
The food industry often benefits from the ambiguity of expiration dates, encouraging consumers to purchase more products in the name of freshness and taste.
In recent years, actual expiration dates have become less common, giving way to ‘sell by’, ‘best by’, and ‘use by’ labels. While this shift is positive, as it doesn’t necessarily imply that food is bad after the listed date, it does lead to confusion.
The only label with a clear definition is ‘sell by’, which is intended more for retailers than consumers.
But what about the safety of eating foods past their expiry date? Food Standards Australia New Zealand and other health organisations strongly advise against eating foods past their ‘use-by’ date.
Microorganisms like listeria and salmonella can multiply in fresh foods, especially if mishandled or stored improperly. Unfortunately, the ‘sniff test’ is unreliable for determining safety, as not all food exhibits signs of spoilage, such as mould or a rotten odour.
When it comes to frozen food, freezing slows down decay but doesn’t stop it entirely. It’s important to freeze items before their ‘use-by’ date and to defrost them in the fridge, using them as soon as they’re thawed.
Packaged foods are less likely to support the growth of harmful microorganisms, but they can still lose quality over time.
Here’s a quick rundown of what you can and can’t eat after their expiration dates:
- Eggs: Refrigerated eggs can often be used past their ‘best-before’ date. The water float test can indicate freshness but isn’t a definitive sign of spoilage.
- Milk: Pasteurised milk can sometimes be consumed a little past its ‘use-by’ date if adequately refrigerated and doesn’t show spoilage.
- Yoghurt: Sealed and refrigerated yoghurt may last up to two weeks after the ‘best-before’ date.
- Cheese: Hard cheeses can last beyond their ‘best-before’ date, but any cheese with dark mould should be discarded.
- Cooked or raw meat: Avoid using meat past its ‘use-by’ date, except for frozen meat, which should be consumed immediately after thawing.
- Packet salads: If sealed, these may last beyond the ‘use-by’ date, but inspect for mould before consuming.
- Fruit or vegetable juice: Acidic fruit juices last longer than non-acidic vegetable juices. Shelf-stable juices can last months after expiration if unopened.
- Bread: Look for mould and a sour smell rather than relying on the date.
- Deli meat: Discard after the expiration date due to the risk of listeria.
- Ice cream: Unopened ice cream can last 3 to 4 months; opened ice cream, about half that time.
- Honey, molasses, and maple syrup: Due to their high sugar content, these can last well beyond their expiration date.
- Canned goods: Can last for two years or longer.
- Biscuits, crisps, dried pasta, and long-life milk: These can last well past the expiration date if stored properly.
We’d love to hear about your experiences and practices with food expiration dates. Do you have any tips for determining freshness, or have you learned any lessons the hard way? Share your stories in the comments below.
Also read: Are your spices past their prime? Here’s how to tell
