We must differentiate between the expiration date and the preferred consumption date, once we have it clear and it is not a highly dangerous food such as an egg, we will know if we can eat it after becoming part of the group of expired foods in our fridge. We are going to explain all the signs, and we are going to say some foods that we could consume after their expiration date.
Food health is a fundamental pillar in our life, otherwise, if there were no controls, we could contract diseases as serious as Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, Clostridium Botulinum, Campylobacter, Norovirus, Trichinella, Hepatitis A, Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia intestinali, etc. If we have ever had salmonella, we are sure we do not want to go through the same thing again.
The symptoms of poisoning are clear: vomiting, acute diarrhea (sometimes with blood), fever, abdominal pain, dizziness, headache, weakness, blurred vision, numbness, imbalance, etc. It is very important that we put ourselves in the hands of specialists as soon as possible.
Throughout this text we are going to differentiate between the expiration date and the preferred consumption date, we will also say some expired foods that we could consume after that date and that we do not put our health at risk.
Expiration date and best before date
They seem the same, but it is not and both have their reasons. It is a system that helps the consumer and the entire industry to determine when a product reaches its peak and begins its decline, and when a food has a short life and should not last much longer or we face many food diseases.
- Expiration date: here, the manufacturer sets a deadline and alerts us that it is not advisable to pass us because it is not safe to consume that food after the expiration date.
- Preferential consumption date: with this data they indicate that for the food to retain its good condition, taste, texture, smell, etc. It is advisable to consume it before the indicated date, but if we miss it, it is not relevant, since it should not pose a risk to health.
Be that as it may, we recommend consuming food before its date and buying only what we are really going to consume, not only for health and to save money, but to reduce and avoid food waste as much as possible.
Foods that can be eaten after your date
Having clear the differences between the expiration date and the preferred consumption date, we are going to review the main foods that always cause doubts regarding their date. We are going to give some basic notions, but we do not have to take them exactly, that is, if we see that the bread smells strange and has mold, it is not consumed, it is discarded because it would already be in the expired food.
Pot sauces
Everything that is packaged in an envelope can be consumed after its best before date, such as ketchup or mayonnaise envelopes, spices, soups and the like. The same happens with sauce cans, whether they are plastic or glass, what must be taken into account is that they are well closed , that we have not reused the knife or spoon to remove portions from inside (this can create contamination in the food) and have always been in the fridge.
The same thing happens with the fried tomato, it can be consumed after its preferential consumption date, even if it is open, as long as it has been kept in the fridge, unless we notice that it smells sour, its red color is no longer intense, it has a broth in the top, etc.
Nuts
Those of us who eat nuts know that the date indicated is for preferential consumption, and if we go past nothing, the only bad thing is that, if we leave the package open, the nuts absorb moisture and become soft and rancid, but they are still fit for human consumption.
If when you take a walnut, hazelnut, almond or cashew and notice a strange taste, such as sour, it is best to discard it. If a long time has passed and the container where the nuts are has gone through many stages such as changes in temperature and exposure to the sun, it is quite likely that, when you open the package, the surprise will be very unpleasant.
French fries, cereals and industrial pastries
By french fries we mean the ones we see in supermarkets. We have eaten these potatoes all, like pickles, industrial buns, cookies and the like. Its date is usually of preferential consumption , so, in the beginning, it would not pose any problem for our health.
In the case of potatoes, they would have lost their crunch, like breakfast cereals, buns will be somewhat harder and rancid, cookies perhaps softer. The key is to open the package well and then dump it in a hermetically sealed box and try to consume it within 5 to 20 days.
Bread
Sliced bread, a bread that very few nutritionists recommend, but which has become the most consumed by young and old in all households. Sliced bread also has a best before date and we can continue to eat it, even if its date has expired a few days ago.
The only drawback is that, if we have not preserved it properly, the bread will become stale , hard and even mold. This is why we recommend keeping it in a dry place, without sun exposure, without many changes in temperature, in a clean place, without humidity and where almost no air enters inside.
Yogurts and UHT milk
Yogurts and milk are one of those expired foods that we panic about, but it is not as serious as it seems. On the one hand, the current yogurts and since the regulations changed in 2017, they have a preferred consumption date so, if we have kept them in the refrigerator, we can eat them several days after the expiration of the date . The only thing we will notice is that they are somewhat more sour because they are acidic because the probiotic microorganism inside them (lactobacillus) converts the lactose in milk into lactic acid.
With regard to yogurts and dairy products made with fresh (or pasteurized) milk, those do have an expiration date, so after that date they become expired food and must be discarded.
If the milk we buy is UHT (sterilized), that is, the one we see stored in supermarkets without refrigeration. It is milk with a preferential consumption date, and if we go too far beyond the date, the milk will dehomogenize and if it is open it will begin to contaminate (at that time it is considered an expiration date). In this case, we leave it to the consumer’s choice, but we do not recommend its consumption.
Pasta, rice and other legumes
It is necessary to differentiate dry foods from fresh or moist ones. For example, legumes, rice, pasta and others in a dry state can be kept in perfect condition for 1 year . However, all fresh pasta, rice, lentils, canned chickpeas, etc. that are fresh or moist have an expiration date.
Therefore, if we buy these fresh products, we should consume them as soon as possible and if we buy them dry, we know that we have a greater margin to consume them. Neither one is better, nor is a colt worse, it depends on the taste of each one and their needs.
Sausages and cheeses
Here we enter a complicated terrain and it depends on the type of sausage and the cheeses. In case of being all cured and packed in protected atmospheres, they tend to last longer and be more resistant to changes, however, fresh sausages and cheeses do not last long and their expiration date is.
An example, fresh cheese, sliced turkey, ham, pâté and the like, tend to have a high water content so their expiration date is, and if we do not keep them well once opened, they have a short life. useful and quickly become expired food that must be discarded.
On the contrary, cured foods have a best before date and even if they get mold, we cut that part with a margin of 5 centimeters and we can eat the rest without any problem.
Butter, honey and jam
The good thing about these foods is that they contain a lot of sugar and make it impossible for microorganisms to live, even at room temperature. If we live in a cold area, it is not even necessary to store these foods in the refrigerator, as long as the temperature in the kitchen does not exceed 25 degrees.
The date of these foods is preferred consumption, even being consumed up to 2 years after purchase , as is the case with honey. As long as it is real and quality honey.
Frozen fruits and vegetables
It is clear that fresh fruits and vegetables cannot be consumed if they have passed the expiration date, if they have a bad appearance, bad smell, bad color, if they are with bugs, if they have a rotten appearance, if the leaves are sweaty, etc. .
Fortunately, there are frozen fruits and vegetables, and these have a preferred consumption date , so they allow us to consume them even if several days have passed since the date expired. Where you have to be careful is when defrosting them, we cannot leave them forgotten at the bottom of the refrigerator or give them sudden changes in temperature (transport them in a car in the middle of summer) because that generates microorganisms that will affect our health.
Soft drinks and alcohol
Soft drinks like Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, etc. They have a best-before date and are usually very long-term. It doesn’t matter that we go over, as long as it’s been properly preserved, there shouldn’t be much of a change from drinking them the same day we buy it . If we notice that its taste has changed, then it will be expired food.
The same thing happens with alcohol, its date is for preferred consumption and is normally several years from now, so nothing happens if we spend a bit after the date expired. The only thing is that some characteristics may have changed, such as its color, taste, smell, etc.
