Do I really need to follow expiration dates?
消費期限はまもるべき？
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.
賞味期限は企業が決められます
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.
期限があると、消費する回転スピードが上がり、収益アップ
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 twenty years on the shelf, we will never know. Do they test the twenty-year shelf-life of a can of beans before that can goes to market? Of course not. They would have to wait twenty years for their test results, but they want to start selling their new product as soon as possible.
企業が全食品を２０年経っても大丈夫か？いつまで大丈夫か記録更新！？と、
賞味期限テストをすると思いますか？
長すぎて待ってられませんよねえ・・・
早く売りに出したい気持ちの方が先かと。
Moreover, if their food passes their twenty-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.
自分の五感を信じて！期限切れの食品を食べる前は、必ず見た目と臭いをチェックすること。
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.
期限が切れていても、まだまだ食べれる物があります。特に災害時は自分の五感を信じて、生き延びる！！
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.
Remember, “Protect your life by yourself” （自分の命は自分で守る). You need to survive first, and then you need your emergency supply. No matter how well you prepared your emergency supplies, if you die, then all of your preparations will have been for nothing. First and foremost, keep your health up all the time. Build your stamina so that if you need to, you can evacuate as quickly as possible. Stay healthy.