Has this ever happened to you? You’re busy cleaning out your fridge and discover a brand new, unopened jar of pickle relish tucked in the back. Just when you’re about to think, “Score!” you notice it expired (gulp!) three months ago. Now what?
Should you really toss something that’s never been opened? What if something’s been opened but barely used? Is it still good?
Totally obvious toss-out situations aside (green fuzzy mold comes to mind), just how old is too old?
Couponers like myself are often buying things in bulk, and once in awhile there have been times when I’ve overshot it a bit and had some items not get used by their respective used-by date. During those moments, my husband always wanted me to toss the items right away, but I wanted to keep them longer and the debate would ensue. (Those were items I had worked hard to get for free or cheap with coupons!) So by doing a little bit of research, I was able to show him that it IS perfectly okay to hold onto and use items a little past the expiration date.
Here are the tips I’ve learned…
General Safety Rules & Guidelines
{Feel free to print out this list and keep it in your kitchen/pantry to reference.}
Now, assuming your fridge’s temperature is set between 38-40 degrees, the following rules apply per the USDA:
- Milk: Good for up to 1 week past the “Sell By” date.
- Eggs: Good for 3-5 weeks after purchase (provided you purchased them before the “Sell By” date, of course). Keep in mind that eggs should always be kept in their original container, not the plastic holders inside the refrigerator door! The plastic doesn’t allow eggs to breathe, which will cause them to spoil a whole lot faster.
- Condiments: These can be kept up to one full year in the fridge. The exceptions are: Mayonnaise, which should only be kept for two months—maximum—after opening and Salad dressings, which can be kept in the fridge up to three months after opening. Unopened salad dressing is good for up to one year past its expiration date.
- Meats & Poultry{It kind of goes without saying (but I’m going to say it anyway), perishables such as meat and poultry should be refrigerated right away or frozen for later use.}
If kept in the fridge, then the following rules apply:
- Poultry – 1 to 2 days
- Beef, pork, veal and lamb –3 to 5 days
- Ground meat or ground poultry –1 to 2 days
- Cured “cook before eating” ham –5 to 7 days
- Uncooked beef, pork or turkey sausage – 1 to 2 days
Frozen meats:
- Ground beef or ground poultry –3 months
- Whole chicken or turkey—one year
- Unopened bacon and lunchmeat—one month
Now let’s move on to pantry items, shall we?
- Grains purchased in boxes (think: rice, crackers, cereal) should be kept in air tight containers or plastic zipper bags for long-term storage. These babies are notorious breeding grounds for bugs and no one likes a bowl of weevils for breakfast! (Gag, shudder)
- Pastas—unopened and opened packages stored in air tight containers—will keep up to one year.
- Egg Noodles—1 to 2 months after opening.
- Rice—up to one year after opening (provided the moisture is kept out)
- Ground Spices—between 6 to 12 months.
- Whole Herbs/Spices—up to 2 years. You should always keep spices in glass containers—never those cute wooden boxes as they create a potential “critter fiesta”!
- Canned goods— good for up to 2 years after the manufacturing date. Rusty, bulging, dented or otherwise damaged cans should never be used.
And there you have it, folks! The official guidelines for expired food safety! Hooray!
Now, just because the food is safe to eat doesn’t necessarily mean that it will taste as fresh as it would when you first opened it. Rule of thumb—if it tastes or smells bad, toss it out!
In closing, I realize that not everyone is keen on eating food past its expiration (as a matter of fact, some of you may be cringing right now at the thought!). However, you should never feel as though you have to throw something out simply because it’s “expired” and waste your hard-earned money. **
{Word of caution: to avoid potentially serious risk or illness, it is highly advised that children, pregnant women, the elderly and sick/ill individuals who may otherwise be susceptible to food-borne illness avoid consuming expired food completely.}
So, do you typically toss out expired food or hang onto it for awhile past the use-by date?
References:
USDA Food Product Dating
I have a salad dressing over 2 yes old that has never been opened and is stored in my pantry cabinet. Is it still good to use on salads?
No, it’s not recommended.
What about rice cakes? I just ate two rice cakes, but then I realized they expired November. And they have been open for a long time. Will I get sick??
Hi! Thank you for this article. I have really enjoyed reading this and will print it out for future reference. I would like to know your thoughts on expired foil like packages. Specifically, the Knorr Pasta Sides/ Rice sides. I have read that this packaging keeps foods well. I have some that are just over a year past the “best by” date. What are your thoughts? Thank you!
I am not sure. I’ll have to do some more research into those products. 🙂
One day should be fine. If you are worried I would make one and take a bite. If it tastes okay go for it!
hi,i bought some canned instant potatoes, on the can it says produced on jan 16 14..does that mean its expired…thank you..
Not exactly sure… but it sound like produced means the date it was made. Look for an expiration date.
how long is hush puppies in a package from the store go for after the expired date.
What about unsalted butter? How long will that last past it’s best before end date? I think you’d call it a cell by date, in UK we have two dates on food stuffs: BBE (best before end) date and use by date.
Hi 🙂 ok so I tend to have bad luck and buy food past their date… Like I just bought a few cheeta danishes that are factory sealed in plastic and the sell by date was Feb.18 and it is March 20 th now ….funny thing is I ate one before noticing! It taste Fine but should I eat the rest… After a month?
Sorry 🙂 spell check I meant cheese danishes …
Not really sure on that one..if you ate one and you aren’t sick…makes me wonder! They fill these kinds of products with so many preservatives nowadays. Some of them can last months. I would say eat at your own risk on that one… especially since there is dairy in it.
If I have an uncooked ham in the freezer exp day feb 28, 2013 how long is it good for?
hello, i used an open tomato puree sashet for a toastie today, it was in the fridge, but it was already open and hadnt been used for a few weeks, will i be fine?
If you have a church with food pantry, you can probably
Record what you give for tax deduction and take a pic. They
Take stuff up to 6 months expired.
I keep stuff past due date but just depends on how
Much I have and how fast I think it’s going to be used.
I had like 10 boxes of spaghetti that expired a few months
Ago so I give half or so to the good pantry.
Flour I’ve gotten bugs and its not from storage. I’ve
Found out you can still have bug eggs that can hatch
Later… Hence there they are after you had your flour
For a week lol!! I read just putting it in freezer for 24hrs
Will kill them and no problems. Do that is the very first
Thing I do. I keep extra bags in freezer til I need it. For
10+ years I’ve never had a issue!! I store my open bag
In a gallon ice cream container. They make great storage
Containers. You can label and stack them etc!!
I always put my flour in the freezer too. I dealt with bugs one time too & never again. I even keep all my Cake mixes, Brownie mixes etc in the freezer too. I had a few Brownie mixes I had forgot about, o during the holidays I baked them up & they were fine.. I thought they tasted ok & I’m still here…lol
Hey all, Maybe this is a stupid question!
for salad dressings, i had many years, expired ones between 1-3 years now in the fridge should i throw it out or use it… even if it contains oil or vingear or milk/egg contents?
thanks!
Sometimes I use these as marinades for meat when they are this old. But you will have to open it, smell it and see what you think. Then go with the golden rule, any doubt and throw it out. 🙂
Hi,
I’ve got instant soups in a sachet, just found them in the cupboard (like this one: http://dostawa24.com/images/3085.jpg ). Expiry is early 2011 (some of them late 2010), it’s two years sice the best before date…
Ingredients: dried beetroot juice, sugar, salt, vegetable oil (rape seed oil), dried yeast extract, flavor enhancers (monosodium glutamate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate), lactose, citric acid, seasonings, artificial flavor, silicon dioxide.
Apart from the fact, that it’s a junk food with no nutrition, and noone should be eating it even when it’s not out of date, is it OK to eat it or should I just throw it away? I’ve got like 30 of them…
Thanks! 🙂
Peter,
Personally, I think you will be fine eating it. That’s the benefit to having junk food, it has enough preservatives to last forever!
Looking over the ingredient list again, the only thing that might concern me is the oil. I’m not too familiar with grape seed oil (I’m assuming you meant grape and not rape seed oil), but I do know that oil can become rancid. If I were you, I’d make it and smell/taste it. If it doesn’t taste funky, you should be just fine.
I have bottles of unopened salard dressing, good by date is: Oct 2009.
Should I throw then out?
Personally, I will recommend to use this dressing as marinade for meat: chicken or pork. Also, you can always add it to casseroles or meatloaf; use it as seasoning, not as finished product 🙂
There is one thing about useing expiered cake mix or bakeing mix. The leveling agent can loss it potency over time. If you have ever had a flat cake made from a mix that is what happened
I found a carrot cake mix that expired on sept 14th, 2010 and today is sept 16th 2012, is it still okay to bake or should I toss?
Open and see if any critters are living inside. Look for webs or weevils. If you see any, toss. If not, use it!
I bought oven ready falafel, but it has expired. How far past the expiration date can i go before I need to throw it out?
I am curious about food that you have made at home and freeze it, how long is it good for? My brother and I have a difference of opinion on this. His daughter made some homemade ‘friendship’ bread and divided it up and froze it. I seen that he retreived some of it from the freezer and it was dated 08/2006. Whoa!!! for me I wouldn’t have eaten that, but he says it’s ok. He also has eaten alot of other homemade items from his freezer, such as different other breads, pies, his vegetables he’s picked from his garden and meat that he has purchased and frozen…most of his items are 5 to 10 years old. Is this safe and will any of it cause him to get sick or give him stomach problems, etc.?
I work in the frozen section at a local supermarket. I need to know what the difference is between the sell by date and the best by date on frozen products? I specifically need to know when the products labeled with best by are considered expired/should be pulled from the floor. I think that it is only right to either mark down, or remove the products from the floor after the best by dates. Please advise soonest. Thanks!
I am sure you will be fine Savuth. I have eaten old mac n cheese before and nothing happened to me.