Expiration Dates?

debdebdol · November 2010

How closely do you go by expiration dates on food? Do you go by the date on the container/packaging? Do you go a few days past it?

In the midst of all my shopping this weekend, I didn't go grocery shopping...oops! I didn't have anything to bring to work for breakfast. Luckily I had a yogurt at the fridge in the office. I was about to eat it and I noticed the exp date was 11/27. I was grossed out because it was 2 days past the exp date, but I know that yogurt is good a few days beyond the exp date. I started eating it but then got grossed out because I kept thinking that it was expired.

I don't know, I just can't eat anything beyond the exp date. Am I crazy?!?!

stephaniem1977 · November 2010

If it's expired, it gets thrown out. No matter what it is.

sunshine_day_dreams · November 2010

Actually, yogurt is good waaaaaaay beyond its expiration date. I've eaten it at least 2 months past before. It's not harmful to you. It may taste bad, but it won't hurt. (Note: That's only for stuff like dairy that isn't molded. Please don't do this with meat!)

K's BFF is a food scientist, so we got all the real info on what is good vs. bad. In most cases, if there's no mold, it's good.

LauraT25 · November 2010

Is it a 'sell by' or 'use by/expiration' date? Because you still have time after a sell-by date. I go by sight/smell after the sell by, and if I'm not sure I throw it out. Yogurt is completely disgusting to me, so the idea of eating it after it's expired makes me want to vomit, but you're probably fine only two days out.

emilyann21 · November 2010

I cannot drink milk beyond it's expiration date even though I know sometimes it's still okay the day after or so. It's just in my head. I usually don't have that problem since I drink milk like crazy.

I also don't do this with meat. Anything else I look at the exp/sell by date and judge accordingly.

kijpost · November 2010

I laugh at DH when he looks at the expiration date on milk and won't drink it on the date or the day after. There was one time that he had a glass before bed and then the next morning he wouldn't drink it because on that day it was expired. I said there is a bell in the milk carton and at midnight it rang and just like that the milk was expired. I go by the sniff test, if it smells fine I'll drink it.

Northstar1808 · November 2010

I'll drink milk past the expiration date. It depends on when you open it, how cold your fridge is, etc. I'll do a sniff test and a little sip test because sometimes it'll smell bad because of the residue at the opening but it doesn't taste bad.

QueenofAnything · November 2010

I have a problem with milk because I accidentally took a gulp of expired milk once, so I NEVER use it after the expiration date. Everything else I'm really bad about. Yogurt, I'll eat a couple of months past the expiration date. For most things, if it looks okay and smells okay and tastes okay, I'll eat/drink it. But do NOT make boxed mac and cheese that's been expired for 5 years. A friend of mine tried that in college and it was disgusting, which confused me because I'm pretty sure the "cheese sauce" is just powdered crap.

lovethebeach16 · November 2010

It depends on what it is. Dairy products I'll only go 2-3 days after the expiration date (with a sniff check) ever since the milk/cereal fiasco of 2006. I hadn't made it to the store in a while and all that was left to eat was the end of a box of cereal and some milk that had a sell by date 3 days before. I pour the milk over the last bit of cereal only to find that my milk had turned to cottage cheese.

I freeze meats right away so I don't really worry about that unless it smells/looks funny after it was defrosted.

Packaged/boxed stuff depends. I've had Ramen noodles, mac and cheese and a few other things all a month or so after their expiration date. Although I did learn that popcorn 6 months past its expiration date doesn't actually pop in the microwave.

jedaniel · November 2010

LauraT25:

Is it a 'sell by' or 'use by/expiration' date? Because you still have time after a sell-by date. I go by sight/smell after the sell by, and if I'm not sure I throw it out. Yogurt is completely disgusting to me, so the idea of eating it after it's expired makes me want to vomit, but you're probably fine only two days out.

This exactly, if its "sell by" then I figure they expect it to be in your house for about a week then its bad and if its a "use by" then I throw it out when the date is up. I hate yogurt!

leolyns · November 2010

Milk and yogurt are usually one week grace period. Anything else, I go by look and smell.

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