What foods can you eat after the expiration date?

At the moment, we know that Poles throw away 9 million tons of food a year! Assuming that one dish weighs about 500 g, more than 40 plates with a meal of this weight end up in the garbage in one month. From my point of view, we cannot afford it.

1. We waste way too much food. We can avoid this – not everything that ends up in the garbage can actually only be thrown away. How to check?
2. What is the difference between the information on the product “should be eaten to” from “best before”?
3. Some products can be eaten up to 10 years after purchase, and there are also some that will never go bad
4. You can find more current news on the TvoiLokony home page

The material was created as part of the series “Pogotowie Zero Waste by Jagna Niedzielska – how to rationally plan and not go crazy”?

“Eat until” and “Best before” – what’s the difference?

One of the reasons why we throw away food is because we missed the expiration date (42%) *. The problem, however, is that over 60% * of Poles do not distinguish between the term “best before” and “eat by”.

Date «Must be eaten by» it specifies the date beyond which the product is no longer fit for use. Such markings can be found on the least durable products. It is rational to take such a product from the sales circulation, but what to do with it when it is in our home? To throw away? I recommend caution in both consuming and throwing out.

It is doubtful that by 12 o’clock in the morning the product will suddenly become spoiled. That is why it is worth sniffing, trying and “reviewing” such a product. If in our opinion there are no signs of deterioration, e.g. mold, do not throw it away.

Most likely, a lot of the food we bought as a spare has a label “Best before”. This means that after this deadline is exceeded, the food is still safe to eat. This date is a guarantee of quality. After the “best before” date, the color or smell of the product may change, but it may still be edible! The most important thing is that it is properly stored! Let us pay special attention to this, so as not to recklessly lead to wasting food.

On the USA Emergency Supply website, you can read that dry food stored hermetically at 21 degrees can be eaten within:

1. dry beans: 8-10 lat
2. barley, quinoa, oatmeal: 8 years
3. buckwheat, dry corn, flax, kamut, millet, durum wheat: 10-12 years
4. flour: 5 years
5. dry pasta: 8-10 years
6. dried fruit: 5 years
7. honey, salt and sugar: indefinitely if stored without contact with moisture.

What can you eat after the expiration date?

Foods we can eat after the date if, in our opinion, there are no signs of deterioration.

1. Canned food. Store at room temperature in a dark and dry place.

Do not eat if the can is:

1. bulging,
2. rusty,
3. leaky,
4. suspicious gases are released when opened.

2. Dried legumes. Store in a tightly closed container in a dry place.

3. Rice. Store in a tightly closed container in a dry place. White rice can be stored longer than brown rice due to the higher fat content of brown rice.

4. Hard cheeses such as Parmesan. Store in a refrigerator in a glass container.

Do not eat if the cheese is:

1. moldy.

5. Eggs. Store in a refrigerator, but not in the refrigerator door.

Do not eat if eggs:

1. they float to the surface after being immersed in cold water. This is evidence of their corruption.

6. Bread. Store wrapped in a linen cloth or in a wooden haversack.

Do not eat if the bread:

1. has mold.

7. Clarified butter. It can be stored at room temperature for up to 9 months, and in a refrigerator for up to 15 months.

Do not eat if clarified butter:

1. it has a rancid smell.

8. Yogurt. Unopened and stored in a refrigerator, it is safe for consumption even for 1-3 weeks after the expiry date. A small amount of liquid in an open yogurt container does not mean it has gone bad. It’s whey that has split off.

Do not eat if the yogurt:

1. it is clearly sour in taste,
2. has mold.

9. Pasta. Store in a tightly closed container at room temperature.

Do not eat if the pasta:

1. it has a rancid smell.

10. Nuts. Store in a tightly closed container in a dark and dry place.

Do not eat if nuts:

1. they have mold.

11. Lettuces. Store in a refrigerator in a package lined with a paper towel.

Do not eat if the lettuce:

1. have been left in a plastic package and the package has visibly condensed,
2. they taste bitter.

12. Bitter chocolate. A white coating does not mean that the chocolate has gone bad. The white coating is the fat crystallized on the surface of the chocolate.

13. Coffee and tea. Store in a tightly closed container in a dark and dry place.

Do not drink if coffee:

1. has mold.

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