Do I really need to follow expiration dates?
“I have heard that people can eat expired food, even 10 years past the expiration date.”
“I have small kids, and I don’t want them to eat expired food…”
“Do I need to worry about the difference between ‘sell-by’ and ‘use-by’ dates? Seriously?”
First, you need to know that only for infant formula are dates an indicator of the product’s safety and required by Federal law in the US (USDA).
If that’s true, how about other food? It turns out, food companies choose dates based on when they think an item tastes best. Sell-by dates are actually more about protecting the brand than about safety. Think about the companies’ motivations for labeling the expiration dates on food. With short expiration times, consumers will eat the food in a hurry and then quickly buy more. Companies want to speed up turnover in their distribution systems and make as much profit as possible. Just guess, if the expiration dates get shorter and shorter… what will happen.? Many consumers believe that labels are telling them to throw the food away, and it sounds like they have no choice.
Furthermore, when companies make a new product, do you think they test how long it can sit on the shelf? If an item can last for thirty years on the shelf, we will never know. Do they test the three-year shelf-life of a can of beans before that can goes to market? Of course not. They would have to wait three years for their test results, but they want to start selling their new product as soon as possible. Moreover, if their food passes their three-year test, how do they know the actual shelf-life? They would have to test even longer. It seems to me the expiry dates have more to do with how long companies can be patient with their unsold food than with the food actually going bad. Most foods’ expiration dates are 2-3 years out, but I am comfortable eating food after the expiration day.
Trust your five senses! Before eating expired foods, absolutely check the food’s appearance and smell.
Reasons companies assign short expiration dates:
- They’re worried consumers might not store food in the correct place.
- Many stores purchase a lot of products and stock them in the wrong space… maybe outside.
- Due to the manufacturing processes, the taste/size/color/shape of the foods may vary.
- The company sets the expiration date based on the food’s optimal date, when they think the item will taste best. Companies want people to enjoy the product when it’s at its peak, to increase enjoyment.
- They want people to consume the item or throw it away, quickly, so that they’ll buy more.
Trust your five senses!
Before eating expired foods, absolutely check the food’s appearance and smell.
Here are some points to keep in mind, if you keep food for a long time.
- The more water canned food contains, the more dramatically its taste will change, over time.
- Over time, the taste of food products containing more ingredients will change more than those with fewer ingredients.
- Some food product packaging allows sunlight to pass through, even though it’s not transparent. Sunlight can shorten food’s shelf-life.
- When food contains oil, the taste will change if exposed to air for extended periods.
I will talk about which foods which are good for your long-term stockpile, and more, in my next post.
See you next time.