Food Expiration Dates Poll Results!

It is about time I get around to talking about the Expiration Date Poll, huh?

Well, the consensus was that they are not to be taken as hard and fast rules. No one who responded regularly threw away food because today is or yesterday was the printed expiration date.

Some said that how much they relied on printed dates depended on the product. For things like dairy and meat, expiration dates are taken more seriously. But for things like crackers, there's some wiggle room.

In general, I'd say that I have to agree.

Very profound, huh?

In other expiration date news:
Crunchy Chicken also commented on the same Slate article that I did. (Great minds? Anyone? Oh well, I can hope.) She highlights that the food scientist explained that those dates on our food packages refer more to optimum freshness, not safety, and are very conservative estimates. They have to account for people who leave the milk on the counter for a few hours before putting it away, or who accidentally leave the block of cheese in the car overnight in the summer, or generally don't follow safe food handling guidelines. (I like her line about taking "food on a tour of the city." It just makes me smile to think of a carton of milk with a touristy hat on, snapping photos of the town.)

While I am no food scientist or food safety expert, it seems to me that if you follow common sense, and try to follow food safety guidelines, you can get a few extra days out of most products. That is, assuming it was fresh to begin with. (You know, there's always one store in the area that might have cheaper prices, but every time you buy produce or milk or meat there, it either spoils days before the printed date, or is spoiled when you get it home.)

Expiration dates

As I said recently, I think of expiration dates as general guidelines for when I should use food, and then, how I should prepare it. My husband, on the other hand, is more likely to follow those dates.

On Monday, I linked to an article from Slate.com about how, well, I was right, and that food is generally safe for consumption past those little stamped dates. I also emailed it to my husband. He responded with this article about using expired foods to save money may not be worth the cost of gastronomical distress.

I thought that I should share it with you, as well. You know, present the other side of the argument and all. It's true, though. I wouldn't want to risk my health to save a few bucks, because in the long run, illness would end up costing more.

I do want to highlight a small portion of the article he sent me:

Sniff tests, as well as checking for any color changes, are usually good indicators of a food's safeness.

Many expiration dates are not symbolic of when the food actually expires, but simply a date that indicates how long before the food's characteristics change. They are also used as a suggestion of "best when used by" dates, or "sell by" dates for grocery stores. -Ashley Holstrom


Felt nice to see that in print. I am a big fan of the sniff test. A caution, though, sniff and sight tests are not fool-proof, and if you are uneasy about eating something, don't.


Here's an interesting site that will tell you how safe something is to consume after the stated expiration date.

Food Expiration Dates Poll

Have something to say about food expiration dates that haven't been addressed in my posts or poll? Care to share?

Did my poll not adequately cover your feelings on food expiration dates?

I want to know.

Have fun!

Food Wast Reduction Challenge, Week 3

So... wasn't the best week for me. I wasn't home for the majority of the week, and was instead on the road for that business trip. I even ate in a college cafeteria once, and was reminded how much food can get wasted there. I opted for a stir-fry, and while I could choose the veggies and such that went into it, I couldn't do much to control the amount, so that plus the fact that I didn't get a chance to eat till after the presentation and Q&A session... I think about a quarter of the rice was left, plus about a quarter of the brownie, and a quarter cup of baby corn + beets. I just looked at it, deciding between letting it be thrown away or trying to force-feed myself before a six-hour drive. I didn't eat it.

 A week or so ago, we had both bought eggs on the way home, independent of each other. It takes us a while to use eggs (unless I'm on a baking spree), so that coupled with the fact that I was gone for 4 days meant that many eggs ended up in the trash, as they had passed their expiration dates

It looks like we are also holding on to about a quarter of a gallon of milk that has not only passed the expiration date, but also my smell and taste test.

I don't know if anything else was tossed while I was away, but it doesn't look like it.

Regarding expiration dates, I'm of  the "they are just a suggestion" camp. Thinking that they tend to be "best by" dates, I am generally ok with eating things a few days or so past the stated expiration date. I may not cook an expired egg over easy with a yummy runny yoke, opting instead to hard boil it or fry it until the yoke is hard. My husband is more likely to go by the expiration date, and throw stuff out.

If you are interested, and haven't seen it already, here's an article from Slate.com about expiration dates. (you may need to sign in to view it)

I have a couple of questions for you now. One: how are you doing with the Food Waste Reduction Challenge? and Two: how do you feel about expiration dates on food?