Did anyone see the news? It seems we may be throwing out out-dated items a little earlier then we need too. Today it was mentioned that some of our food is fine after the expiration date. You do need to heed to the dates on dairy and meat, of course. The items we have in our pantry maybe good up to 6 months after the date on the can or package. Always remember the smell test when possible, but the panic of expiration dates and "what am I going to fix for dinner now" can be dismissed to a degree with this new finding.
Expiration date update
- Thread starter ann21
- Start date
the system has ingrained sell by dates into peoples mind and it will be hard to forget that.
MyDigitalpoint
Veteran
I grew up amidst a "canned society." This mean that I'm familiar with cans as apart of a home pantry, as I can remember my father's "canned precepts" regarding "sign and symptoms" of an out-dated can.
Moreover, his hobby was going on treasure hunting and many times he found cans as old as several years before the finding date, some of which had still well-preserved food as none of the "signs and symptoms" of out-dated or poor sealing was detected.
To make a long story short, as i grew up canned food expiration date seems to be shortened opposed to the manufacturing process improving for safety. Sometime I read from an authoritative source that the expiration date is set with the goal to have people throwing out outdated food when their real shelf life is longer, but is not convenient for the food manufacturing industry that lose money if you don't consume their products on a regular basis.
Similarly many doctors say that outdated medicine, with a few exceptions, cause no harm after the expiration date but degrades its effectiveness with the pass or the months (or years) while some medicine has not really expiration date, but is not convenient for the pharmacy industry make people know that medicine last longer than they say.
Said the above, I simply stick by father's rule and if a canned food has not "signs and symptoms" of expiration, I can consume it safely. I remember myself finding cans on my kitchen store for as long as 5 years and they were in good conditions, tasty and so expensive that I have not been able to buy these delicatessen since I opened those lost cans.
Moreover, his hobby was going on treasure hunting and many times he found cans as old as several years before the finding date, some of which had still well-preserved food as none of the "signs and symptoms" of out-dated or poor sealing was detected.
To make a long story short, as i grew up canned food expiration date seems to be shortened opposed to the manufacturing process improving for safety. Sometime I read from an authoritative source that the expiration date is set with the goal to have people throwing out outdated food when their real shelf life is longer, but is not convenient for the food manufacturing industry that lose money if you don't consume their products on a regular basis.
Similarly many doctors say that outdated medicine, with a few exceptions, cause no harm after the expiration date but degrades its effectiveness with the pass or the months (or years) while some medicine has not really expiration date, but is not convenient for the pharmacy industry make people know that medicine last longer than they say.
Said the above, I simply stick by father's rule and if a canned food has not "signs and symptoms" of expiration, I can consume it safely. I remember myself finding cans on my kitchen store for as long as 5 years and they were in good conditions, tasty and so expensive that I have not been able to buy these delicatessen since I opened those lost cans.
crimsonghost747
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They are obligated to have expiration dates on their products, this is to stop idiots from eating green potatoes etc. (or at least makes them stop complaining about no one telling them that potatoes shouldn't be the same colour as spinach) It doesn't take much common sense to actually take a look at the item and see if it's still alright, instead of just throwing it away since it expired yesterday.
As for the medication, most expiration dates for medication are the date up to which the manufacturer guarantees 100% effectiveness. However there are certain ones which can even become dangerous after a while, as always you need to be careful with medication no matter how safe they are nowadays.
As for the medication, most expiration dates for medication are the date up to which the manufacturer guarantees 100% effectiveness. However there are certain ones which can even become dangerous after a while, as always you need to be careful with medication no matter how safe they are nowadays.
zestery
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Yeah, I almost always assume I have some time after the date anyway, since things don't magically go from good to bad at midnight 
But also, I am quite good at storage, wrapping stuff correctly and keeping things refrigerated and so on, which helps extend the shelflife.
But also, I am quite good at storage, wrapping stuff correctly and keeping things refrigerated and so on, which helps extend the shelflife.
Sandra Piddock
Guru
If it looks good and tastes good, I'll eat it, whatever the date says. As Zestery points out, stuff doesn't go off the minute after midnight on the 'use by' date. I've had yogurts that have been perfectly fine several weeks after their expiry dates, and as long as the top isn't blown, they're okay to eat. I let my eyes, nose and taste buds tell me whether something is fit to eat or not.