Expiration Dates

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And from the store, my mom bought me a soda from a gas station that was three months past the expiration date. The thing is, I didn't realize this until I was already halfway done with it. But since I only realized it from the date, and not the taste, I still finished it.

That's okay. Soda (non-diet) will last virtually forever provided the seal remains intact and it stays in a cool climate. Last year while visiting my grandmother, I cracked open a Sprite canned in 1995. Tasted just like it was made last week.

Hell, virtually all canned goods will last if their seal isn't broken. Just look at the dude that ate a 50 year old canned chicken.

Originally Posted by JazzFlight

If it's a sealed bag or can, I don't see a problem.

What about chips? I know I've opened some over the years that were stale, just to find out they were past the expiration date. I guess technically they might still be safe to eat, but I don't see who would want to (especially when they are really stale).

Originally Posted by RockgamerXIII

What about chips? I know I've opened some over the years that were stale, just to find out they were past the expiration date. I guess technically they might still be safe to eat, but I don't see who would want to (especially when they are really stale).

With chips, it's tough. The bag is pretty thin, and I think it's somewhat permeable to air molecules. I think that if they were vacuum-sealed, chips would last longer.

Still, though. Cans? They last for a looooong time. Think of anything that people keep in bunkers for emergency situations.

AFAIK, bagged chip products are packaged with Nitrogen rather than air to extend their shelf life. The nitrogen is inert, but the chips will still get mushy and nasty if they sit for long enough.

Originally Posted by nuttyturnip

I used to work in a pharmacy, and the pharmacist told me medicine is good for a year after the expiration. Expiration dates on drugs assume that the drugs were stored in the worst possible conditions (too hot or cold). At least with over the counter pills, they don't go bad, they just lose their potency. We used to stock up on Tylenol and the like when they'd get marked down for being close to expiring.

Well, that's a relief. Then I can say it was originally six months over, not two, and still be in the safe zone.

I would think that with canned products, you have to watch out for signs of rusting of the can itself, especially if the food was poorly packaged (or packaged before the mid 90's). I always imagine all that crusty rust just falling into the canned-whatever while you open it and then eating it later on thinking it's part of the seasoning.
There's a can of eggplant dip in my cupboard from four years ago and it doesn't look too good on the outside. I'm afraid to see what the inside looks like.

Yeah, the same with dented cans, you shouldn't leave those too long in case the zinc gets into the food. Never had any problems there though.

I tend not to worry about things that have gone over the date by a few days, especially bread. Normally I just get reduced loaves that go bad the next day and eat those over the next 3-4 days and there's never any problems. If there's a bit of mould on a slice I'll just pick the mouldy bit off and eat the rest of the slice and it doesn't bother me. Milk's about the only thing I refuse to have past the date; sometimes I even don't like milk a couple of days before the date if it's been open for a while. If it smells different to normal I can't drink it.

The only thing i eat past the 'Best Before' date is sandwhich fillers likePrawn Mayonnaise, Egg Manyonnaise and Salami. Only because i don't think an extra few days will hurt me. It hasn't yet. I never eat them more than 3 daysover the Best Before though.

I'm kinda sensitive when it comes to food so I never eat anything expired. It's not that I'm afraid to eat it, I just become very sick after.

I tend not to eat anything after it's best before date but mainly because we tend not to buy so much food that it's sat around that long. I certainly wouldn't eat anything after a use by date though.

If it has expired I don't eat it. I just don't want to get sick or something being expired or even bother with trying to eat it. It's automatically dumped and trashed - no questions asked.

I often ignore expiration dates. The majority of the time, I can tell no difference a few days after than before the date. I try to keep milk in mind, because if I ignore that one too long, it gets really sour. Also, small powder donuts get too moist after a while, so I avoid those as well.

I am anal about expiration dates. Years ago, I once completely ignored the milk carton in the back of the fridge until I really needed a glass of milk.

I decided, without looking or sniffing (while talking to a friend while I was cooking dinner) to pour some into a glass for her.

She was too busy talking to me to notice the milk was bad. It wasn't like CHUNKY GROSS bad, but it was bad enough to make her throwup after swallowing the soured milk. ;_;

Ever since, I do NOT want a repeat offense. Though I'm not sure if mayo ever goes bad? Because I use the same jar all the time.

Mayonnaise appears to keep forever, it's quite strange stuff but then it does partly contain natural preservatives, so perhaps it's not so surprising. The same goes for anything excessively spicy or salty or (depending on what it is) sweet.