“Is this still good?” my son asked as he was rummaging through the refrigerator the other day and came upon some juice whose expiration date had long ago passed. “It depends,” I said and began to explain the wonderful world of expiration dates.
“Best by,” “sell by,” “use by” – it can all be very confusing!
How do you handle expiration dates? Do you consume the item or do you toss it? Tell us what you think. Let us know in the comments section toward the bottom of the page.
Expiration Dates: What It All Means
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture:
- Best if used by date: The best date for flavor and quality.
- Sell-by date: How long the store can display the product.
- Use-by date: The last date that the product is at peak quality.
- Closed by date or coded dates: The numbers and letters used by the manufacturer to indicate the day and time the product was packed.
None of the above are technically “expiration dates.” In fact, according to thehealthy.com, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows manufacturers to sell almost any food past these dates, with baby formula being the exception. According to theheathy.com, the FDA understands these labels are confusing and would like the food industry to move to one standard phrase: “Best if used by.”
Handling And Storage Tips
So how do you keep good food from going bad? According to heart.org,
- Purchase the food product before the date expires.
- If perishable, take the food home immediately after purchase and refrigerate it promptly. Freeze it if you can’t use it within times recommended on chart.
- Once a perishable product is frozen, it doesn’t matter if the date expires because foods kept frozen continuously at 0° F or below are safe.
- Follow handling recommendations on the product.
The Consequences Of Mishandled Food
If foods are not handled correctly, food-borne bacteria can grow and cause food-borne illness — before or after the date on the package, according to heart.org. Examples include food that is meant to be refrigerated, but is left out for several hours; food that has been cross contaminated with another food; or food handled by people who may not, shall we say, have the most conscientious hand-washing techniques.
The Sniff Test?
So how do you know if something is still good? One way is to use the old “sniff test.” Yes, that’s right, rely on your reliable nose. And if something just doesn’t look right, toss it, don’t chance it.
However, don’t just leave it to your nose or eyes. Those expiration dates are trying to tell you something …
Warning! Don’t Eat These Products Past Their Expiration Date
Here’s a list of several foods that should not be eaten past their expiration date, according to thehealthy.com:
- Egg substitutes
- Soft cheeses
- Jarred condiments
- Potato salad
- Cold-pressed juice
- Fresh meat
- Ground meats
- Deli meat
- Fish/Shell fish
- Fresh berries
- Leafy greens
Who Knew These Were Still Good?
On the other hand, there are many products that can last a lot longer than you might think. According to rd.com, these include the following:
- Dried pasta
- Canned or dried beans
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Vanilla
- Worcestershire sauce
- Eggs
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Citrus fruits
Finally, here’s a handy list of the shelf life of common pantry foods, from home-storage-solutions-101.com:
| Food Item | Storage Time | Packaging |
| Baking powder | 1 year | |
| Baking soda | 2 years | |
| Beans and peas, dried | 18 months | |
| Biscuit mix | 12-18 months | |
| Bread crumbs | 2-4 months | |
| Cake, brownie and cookie mixes | 1 year | |
| Canned fruit | 1 year | Unopened |
| Canned meats and gravies | 1 year | Unopened |
| Canned vegetables | 1 year | Unopened |
| Cereals, ready to eat | 6-12 months 2-3 months | Unopened Opened |
| Cereals, hot | 1 year | |
| Chocolate chips, semi-sweet | 1 year | |
| Chocolate, unsweetened | 18 months | |
| Cocoa powder | 2 years | |
| Coconut, grated | 1 year | Unopened |
| Coffee, ground | 3-5 months (after printed date) 3-5 months | Unopened After Opening |
| Coffee, instant | 2 years | |
| Coffee, whole bean | 6-9 months (after printed date) 6 months | Unopened Opened |
| Cookies, packaged | 2-4 months | |
| Cornmeal | 1 year | |
| Cornstarch | 18 months | |
| Crackers | 6 months | |
| Croutons | 6 months | |
| Flour, cake | 6 months | |
| Flour, white | 10-15 months | Opened, in air tight container |
| Flour, whole wheat | 6-8 months | Opened in fridge |
| Frosting, canned | 8 months | Unopened |
| Fruit, dried | 6 months | |
| Gelatin | 12-18 months | |
| Grits, instant | 8 months | |
| Grits, regular | 10 months | |
| Honey, molasses, and syrup | 1 year | |
| Hot chocolate mixes | 6-12 months | |
| Infant formula | 12-18 months | |
| Jelly, jam and preserves | 1 year 8 months | Unopened Opened in fridge |
| Juice, canned citrus | 6 months | Unopened |
| Juice, canned non-citrus | 1 year | Unopened |
| Ketchup, barbeque sauce | 1 year 5 months | Unopened Opened in fridge |
| Marshmallows | 3 months | |
| Mayonnaise | 4 months 2 months | Unopened Opened in fridge |
| Milk, evaporated | 1 year | Unopened |
| Milk, non-fat powdered | 1-2 years | |
| Milk, sweetened condensed | 1 year | Unopened |
| Mustard | 2 years 1 year | Unopened Opened in fridge |
| Nuts, unshelled | 8 months | |
| Oils (canola, corn and vegetable) | 1-2 years 6-8 months | Unopened Opened |
| Oil, olive | 2 years | |
| Onions | 4-6 weeks | Dry dark place with lots of air circulation |
| Pancake mix | 6 months | |
| Pasta, dried | 2 years | Once opened keep in air tight containers |
| Peanut butter | 6-9 months | |
| Pickles, olives, relishes | 1 year 3 months | Unopened Opened in fridge |
| Popcorn, unpopped kernels | 1-2 years | |
| Popcorn, microwaveable | 6-8 months | |
| Potatoes, white or sweet | 3-5 weeks | Dry dark place with lots of air circulation |
| Potatoes, instant | 1 year | |
| Pudding mixes | 8-12 months | |
| Rice, brown | 1 year | |
| Rice, mixes | 6 months | |
| Rice, white | 2 years | |
| Salad dressing | 10 months 3 months | Unopened Opened in fridge |
| Salt | Indefinitely | |
| Sauces, condiments | 1 year | Unopened |
| Shortening | 8 months 6 months | Unopened Opened |
| Soft drinks | 6-9 months | Unopened |
| Spices and herbs, dried and ground | 1-2 years | Airtight containers, discard when scent fades |
| Spices, dried and whole | 2-3 years | Airtight containers, discard when scent fades |
| Sports drinks, bottled | 9 months | |
| Stuffing mix | 6 months | |
| Sugar, brown | 4 months | |
| Sugar, granulated | 2 years | |
| Sugar, powdered | 18 months | |
| Tea, bags and loose | 6-12 months | |
| Tea, instant | 1 year | |
| Vinegar (balsamic, cider, rice, red wine, white, and white wine) | Indefinitely | Do not store in metal |
| Yeast, active dry | Follow package date |
So when you purchase a food item, be aware of the expiration date. And while you’re checking the date, make sure to record the product and send us all of your shopping information!
Hope you have a safe weekend!
Best Regards,
Taylor
I think that people misconstrue what expiration dates really mean and it leads to so much wasted foods. Thank you for a great read! More people should do some research on how long they can actually food in their pantry. I came across this, https://www.ez.insure/landing/2021/06/use-by-sell-by-best-by-do-expirations-dates-matter/ and would love to hear your thoughts on it.
I always end up throwing away so much food, that is until i started learning that I don’t have to just based on the expiration date. I had some spinach that was 2 weeks passed the expiration date and it was perfectly fine! I think it should be a sniff and taste test before throwing stuff out. I read more about it here, https://www.ez.insure/landing/2021/06/use-by-sell-by-best-by-do-expirations-dates-matter/ It had some great points, and hopefully more people dig into this so they can waste less food.
I have always used the smell and feel test. Works most always. I sent this to my daughter though because she is a stickler for just going by the dates on products.
Thank you for very valuable information. 1 question, however, you said that frozen items will last indefinitly. What about “freezer burn” on food frozen for too long. Toss it? or can it be saved for use somehow?
Thanks for sharing.I know most of what you share.
Great info! Some things are less flavorful past the dates but still edible.
Thank you for the very useful information.
Very useful information! The list is especially helpful. Definitely worth printing out and hanging on the fridge for future use.
Some good info. This is such a confusing topic at times so I was glad for some clarity.
Lots of great info!! Thanks
Those shelf life figures are way off. I have eaten peanut butter, cereal, and jarred pickles that are over a year past their “best by” dates, and there was nothing wrong with them
Thank you Taylor for some new information as well as good information to know ????. I always pull from the back so I get the freshest., if I think something might be spoiled ( like meat ) I smell it,then I touch it to see if it feels sticky,and the last thing I check is how it smells when it is cooking ????
This is such a good list and information to have handy. We question some of the food we have normally we just toss it out if we are not sure. Thank you I printed it out and it is on the refrigerator.
better to toss it than take the chance of food poisoning
When I worked at my local grocery chain I would always have to explain the difference between expiration & best by date to customers. If only we could simply put a date on perishables that say “this product might be bad by”, and another that would basically be like saying “definitely don’t eat after this date”. In my home, dairy is the one that I have trouble telling if it’s bad or not. Other than mold on cheese, there really is not any sort of sign. I love cottage cheese & yogurt. I know many say the smell will tell you, but all dairy smells bad in my opinion. ???? Thank you for such an informative read.
Thanks for the info
Thanks for this info.
Thank you this is good to know just threw out food based on sell by date and It was only 2 month past date and most were cans and boxes cereal unopened. Hope I can print list from your blog need to save money during this time. Thank you
This was very helpful especially we every family struggles to make ends meet.
Fantastic note about how long to keep food items. I learned something new. Thanks