If you have ever smelled a bottle of milk that got left in the fridge past the expiration date, you probably already know that is something you do not want to drink or put in your cereal bowl. On the other hand, some find cheese and sour cream may actually be classified as dairy gone bad that tastes great! But beyond a discussion of the obvious, is it ok to eat food that has been packaged and marked expired?

I know you have probably seen some canned or boxed foods in your grocery store, maybe in a discount bin or maybe not, that has passed a “sell by” or “use by” date. In fact, one study found plenty of it on the shelves. And though it tended to be more common in poorer neighborhoods, it was no uncommon in ritzy places too.

Prevention magazine had an article on this subject which I think is worth a mention.

Baby food and forumula – The article says that any baby products that have passed their expiration date should be tossed. I think this is true for a couple of reasons. First, a baby many not have immunity that an older child or adult would have. But also, a lot of our ability to decide if food is bad depends upon our smell and taste, and our ability to also tell somebody that something is disgusting. A baby cannot communicate this, you may not know why Junior is crying or spitting up, and it just is no a great idea to chance it.

Date Confusion! There are different types of dates on labels too. Here is a summary.

Best If Used By and Use By Foods will stay fresh and taste and look their best until these dates. (Don’t buy or use baby formula or baby food after its Use By date.)

Expiration Food probably isn’t edible after this date, so to be safe, throw it out.

Sell By or Pull By Stores should remove products by this date; they may be edible for up to a week afterward.

Guaranteed Fresh Used for baked goods; buy before this date for ideal freshness.

This is a general idea, but in reality, some food is probably fine after its date has passed. Canned foods can last for years. And while other packaged food may not taste as good or fresh past the date, it will probably be perfectly safe. For example, at least one grocery store in my are hands out expired baked goods to a senior citizens complex right after the expiration date. The food is judged safe enough, but may not have that “just baked” freshness.

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