15 foods you can eat past their expiration dates

Zoë MillerJul 28, 2020, 23:34 IST

Eggs have a long shelf life.Shutterstock

Oftentimes expiration dates are a guideline and not a strict rule, usually referencing the quality rather than the actual safety of the food.
Although it is still important to check the packaging, there are quite a few foods where the date has no significance.
Dry, boxed pasta can last for quite some time if it's unopened.
Oftentimes "expired" bread is fine to eat if you don't see any mold.

It's a common misconception that the date printed on packaged food is a firm deadline for when you should toss it.

In reality, one of the only items in the US with a federally-regulated expiration date is infant formula ― which is why "sell by" dates and "best if used by (or before)" dates are more of a guideline than a rule.

As Paul VanLandingham, a senior faculty member at the Center for Food and Beverage Management of Johnson & Wales University explained in an interview with WebMD, these numbers refer to food quality rather than food safety.

Although the former dictates how long a store should display a product to ensure its highest level of quality, the latter refers to long consumers should keep a product before it loses flavor or declines in quality.

When it comes to these 15 food items, you can oftentimes disregard the date on the package.

You can keep dry, boxed pasta for one to two years past its printed date.

Dry pasta lasts longer than you might realize. Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

When it's unopened, breakfast cereal lasts six to eight months past the date on the box.

For fresh cereal, don't wait too long to eat it after opening the bag. Seth Wenig/AP

No matter what date is on the carton, you can use eggs within three to five weeks of purchasing them.

Eggs have a longer shelf-life than presumed. Shutterstock

Raw meat and poultry keep long past their sell-by date if you freeze them.

Just make sure to store it in the freezer. jutia/Shutterstock

Raw fish also lasts much longer in the freezer.

Fish, like poultry, must be frozen if you want to keep it fresh for long periods of time. Lemer Vadim/ Shutterstock

As with many food items, appearance and odor will tell you more about if cheese is safe to eat than the number on the package.

It depends slightly on the type of cheese you're eating. Shutterstock

Leafy greens, including bagged salads, can be revived with ice water if they begin to wilt.

Leafy greens can be salvaged past their prime. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

You can keep dairy milk five days or more past its printed date.

Chances are you'll know when your milk has spoiled. Joey Hadden/Insider

Canned foods have a long shelf life.

Canned foods can last years. Shutterstock

Unopened packages of frozen fruit and frozen vegetables are good for eight to 10 months beyond their printed date.

As long as it's frozen, fruit will typically last a long time. CLICKMANIS/Shutterstock

When unopened and refrigerated, yogurt will last two to three weeks past the date on the container.

Consider freezing your yogurt. Caroline Praderio/Insider

Bread is usually fine to eat if you don't see any mold.

If you see mold, however, throw it away. kongsak sumano/Shutterstock

Unopened jars of peanut butter can keep for up to a year past their printed date.

Preservative-free peanut butter will not last as long. White bear studio/Shutterstock

Some condiments, such as ketchup and mustard, are good for a year or two beyond their printed dates if the bottles are unopened.

Chances are that the ketchup in your fridge is still OK to eat. L Barwell/Shutterstock

Honey only really spoils if it's introduced to moisture.

Honey doesn't offer a friendly environment for bacteria. Shutterstock

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