So who else buys food past the expiration date?

[sounderella]

Growing up my parents always went to a thrift store to buy expired bread for .25 a loaf and they would come home and freeze it....it was still good. Unfort, I haven't been able to find something like this otherwise I would do it. I just wait till bread is on sale, stock up and freeze it.

[cipixul]

Basically if food is past it's expiration date doesn't mean it's bad or unhealthy or even altered in taste. It just means that the producer doesn't guarantee no more that the food contains the nutrients in the amounts that are written on the case(proteins, glucides, sugars, etc.) Some foods alter or become bad after a while, some not.

I don't recommend it necessarily, I just consider we should be careful because health is truly the most important thing.

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Financial Course Blog

[sounderella]

I was always told that milk lasts about 10 days after the expiration date. Of course I always smell it and get a second opinion too.

We hold on to shredded cheese until it molds.

We always buy the day old bread (unless I go to Aldi) and we just freeze it.

I will also buy the meat at the store that has been reduced for quick sale and freeze it.

I will not eat yogurt after the date though....I made that mistake once *full body shiver*

[mom-from-missouri]

I was always told that milk lasts about 10 days after the expiration date. Of course I always smell it and get a second opinion too.

Our milk doesn't have an expiration date. It only has a bottled on date (we get from a dairy in glass bottles)

I had a daughter dump it all out once because it was a couple days past the date.....Took back the bottles and got more and the dairy people thought it was funny--so they gave me 2 more gallons for FREE. In their next moosletter (monthly email) they retold the story and explained to people that bottled by meant the day the cow was milked, not the use by date.

But I often look for stuff in the sale cart such as pudding, powered milk, cereal--and more--if its just a few days past, I trust it. the little high dollar store here puts it all in a cart for 50 cents an item. I have learned to check the cart first when entering the store. But, usually I go to aldi and they don't have such sales.

[kork13]

Our milk doesn't have an expiration date. It only has a bottled on date (we get from a dairy in glass bottles)

I had a daughter dump it all out once because it was a couple days past the date.....Took back the bottles and got more and the dairy people thought it was funny--so they gave me 2 more gallons for FREE. In their next moosletter (monthly email) they retold the story and explained to people that bottled by meant the day the cow was milked, not the use by date.

But I often look for stuff in the sale cart such as pudding, powered milk, cereal--and more--if its just a few days past, I trust it. the little high dollar store here puts it all in a cart for 50 cents an item. I have learned to check the cart first when entering the store. But, usually I go to aldi and they don't have such sales.

That's really funny, MFM... hahaha I can totally see alot of people doing that too.

My family has generally been to just buy what's available at a reasonable price for the best date possible. Basically, buy what's on sale or what we normally get, then looking for the best date we can find. Growing up on Guam, "fresh" didn't really exist (except for the tropical fruit, which was GREAT), so we've always just let food go until we're no longer comfortable with it... If it looks or smells bad, it's gone. We're all in the habit of trying a little bit of anything first, so taste is normally the decider for us...unfortunately, that can work out for you badly sometimes (rotten milk? arg...)

[mom-from-missouri]

In college I had an American roommate, but she had lived in Brazil most of her life (daughter of missionaries). We got bugs in our flour and I was going to dump it out. Instead she baked it to kill them, sifted it and used it. GROSS.
After that I never ate her cooking again.....

[kork13]

In college I had an American roommate, but she had lived in Brazil most of her life (daughter of missionaries). We got bugs in our flour and I was going to dump it out. Instead she baked it to kill them, sifted it and used it. GROSS.
After that I never ate her cooking again.....

Hmmm..... maybe I'll stop talking about food from growing up.... until I read "GROSS" in your post, I was starting to be really impressed with your roommate for having a great idea--i never would have thought of that.



...Actually, it normally wasn't that bad. I'd go back anytime for the amazing local food. You haven't lived if you've never had a dinner of bbq'd tobasco ribs, red rice, and pansit with coconut candy for dessert.

[marvholly]

For me it depends on what the item is.

Dairy: My store's products are marked w/ the SELL BY date. This means it is good beyond that. From years of experience I have learned that the lower the fat content the longer it is good.

Meat: I will buy clearance SEVERELY discounted meat only if I can use or freeze immediatly & never more than 1 pkg/week for this 1 person house unless I walk it right to the freezer when I get home.

Produce: Only buy amounts I can use immediatlty (1-2 days).

Cleaning products: No issues w/ dates

Personal care: Never bother w/ clearance on these. With WAG & CVS running frequent sales and using coupons too I buy & then donate MUCH more than I could EVER use.

OTC medications: NEVER except once I asked the pharmacist why the 100 count asprin had a MUCH shorter expire date than the 300. His answer was that it takes longer to use 300. This did NOT make sense to me. IMHO, I think he had NO CLUE and just wanted to fluff me off. If I had been more computer adept at the time I would have sent this question the the corp office.

[mom-from-missouri]

OTC medications: NEVER except once I asked the pharmacist why the 100 count asprin had a MUCH shorter expire date than the 300. His answer was that it takes longer to use 300. This did NOT make sense to me. IMHO, I think he had NO CLUE and just wanted to fluff me off. If I had been more computer adept at the time I would have sent this question the the corp office.

Actually the pharmacist told you correctly. I still hold my pharmacy tech certificate from years back.
The 300 count bottle takes longer to use, so people don't buy it as often as they do the 100 count bottle. Therefore, it sits on the shelf longer. Sometimes they even go out of date sitting there (although, we used to pull them if they were not selling and use them back in the pharmacy for nursing home packaging).

The expiration time is the same on the two bottles. When you went into the store the 100 count bottle was newer, so was dated further out. The 300 bottle had been sitting there awhile.

[JeanneElle]

It depends what it is. I never buy milk past the expiry date, but once it is in my fridge then I'll still drink it if it smells ok.

I've called major brands to query the expiration date on canned goods (some of it is in code - so annoying!!) and I've been told that it's still safe to eat past the date, it's just not as good (i.e. best used for cooking instead of eating alone).

Meat, on the other hand - forget it!! I wouldn't risk that...

[jamiefic]

Same for me, it depends on what it is. If things look okay and smell okay, I will use them. If I don't use things and they are really close to expiring, I almost always freeze them.

Good to know about the medicine because I usually am not too afraid to use some things past expiration...

[Judi Dial]

Everything but drugs...

Since I shop the salvage sales first, we frequently use day old bread, meat, etc. Mostly I freeze the meat. I never see milk, and hardly ever see other dairy products, yogurt every now and then. But if you use the products usu. a day or two after the date it's fine. I DO throw out dairy products that have sneakily hidden in the back of my refrigerator for a long time though!

And I toss drugs when the dates are > 6 months past.

Judi

[snafu]

When I realized that different states/provinces used different dates for the same product I got a lot more flexible. The dates on fresh foods and produce are important to avoid potential problems.

However, the expiry dates for packaged foods are meant to be guidelines and do not mean that those items are unsafe and they have become a terrific marketing tool. If you have something in your pantry that smells ok it might have lost a touch of flavor if it has past it's guideline date. Baking powder will lose potency after 6 months or so, for example. Salt can last forever and needn't have an expiry date.

[CrazShop]

I really depends on what the item is. Most items are still good after the expiration date. The dates on food have different meaning.......

"Sell by" date. This tells the store how long to hold the food for sale. Don't buy the product after this date. Food sold on the "sell by " date can still be eaten later. For example, milk generally is safe and wholesome 7 to 10 days after the date on the label. This is a "sell by" date for the grocery store, not a "use by" date for the consumer.

"Freshness" date or "quality assurance" date. This date suggests how long the manufacturer thinks the food will remain at peak quality. The label might read "Best if used by November, 2005." The product still may be used after this date, although it may no longer meet the company's standard for freshness.

"Pack" date or "package" date. This is the date the food was packaged or processed. With this information, consumers can decide which package is fresher. Fresh meat is labeled with a pack date. Do not buy ground beef packaged three days ago when a package is available that was packed today.

"Expiration" date. This is the last date the product should be eaten. It might read, "Do not use after March, 2005." Always discard food that has passed the expiration date.