Really depends on the food. I usually just check if it smells/looks/tastes funny. If so, bin it. Depending on the type of food it can be days or years over the date before I throw it away.
Poll: food: how expired is too expired?
- Thread starter lechat
- Start date
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Depends. Smell it and make a choice. Milk is easy, if its in the fridge it can last ages but smell it. 
Other food can last ages if frozen or if its unopened. Bread if with mould should be binned but before then its fine. Ignore the best before date as it means nothing. As long as your consuming within a few days then your fine. Dont defrost and freeze, thats bad.
Other food can last ages if frozen or if its unopened. Bread if with mould should be binned but before then its fine. Ignore the best before date as it means nothing. As long as your consuming within a few days then your fine. Dont defrost and freeze, thats bad. 
If the date is a Best Before date then it doesn't mean anything...it's something put there by the manufacturer to let you know that after that date due to the natural decay the item will lose some of it's flavour/consistency/texture/etc... the food will still be perfectly edible but might not taste the way you expect
Now if it's a Use by date then that's an entirely different matter. These are put on food that are likely to develop potentially dangerous microbial or fungal pathogens as the food brakes down. This type of expiry date should always be followed. You'll get away wit plus a day or so but no more than three. This is providing that the food has been properly stored that is. If not then get rid ASAP once it's expired.
Now if it's a Use by date then that's an entirely different matter. These are put on food that are likely to develop potentially dangerous microbial or fungal pathogens as the food brakes down. This type of expiry date should always be followed. You'll get away wit plus a day or so but no more than three. This is providing that the food has been properly stored that is. If not then get rid ASAP once it's expired.
Like pretty much what everyone else has said, it depends on the product, and whether or not its a "Use By" or a "Best Before". I know that the mozzarella balls I buy start to turn a day before their Use By. On the other hand, I've eaten mayonnaise that was well past its date - you just have to scrape of the top layer. I also have a jar of dried chives that have a Best Before of September 2002, and they're great. For milk and bread, I'll use my eyes/nose. It's pretty easy to tell when they're gone. Same with eggs. For meat, I usually won't take a chance on the date, unless it has been frozen, then it's pretty much fine forever.
Graill said:
In this country it depends whether it's a "Best before" date or a "Use by" date. "Best before" means that the food will be at its freshest (and tastiest) if eaten before that date, but you're free to eat it afterwards. "Use by" means that the shop no longer guarantees your safety if you eat it after that date.
I treat "Use by" dates on a case-by-case basis, always examining and smelling the food. If it's raw chicken/pork, I don't risk more than a day. Raw beef/lamb I'll give longer.
I treat "Use by" dates on a case-by-case basis, always examining and smelling the food. If it's raw chicken/pork, I don't risk more than a day. Raw beef/lamb I'll give longer.
Now? It's a matter of sniff and see.
Back in COLLEGE my standards were different. If I pulled something green/grey/ocher from my mini-fridge only to have it move and poke me then I'd toss it.
Otherwise it was fair game.
Back in COLLEGE my standards were different. If I pulled something green/grey/ocher from my mini-fridge only to have it move and poke me then I'd toss it.
Otherwise it was fair game.
Day 1 I throw that shit out. Maybe it looks fine. Maybe it smells fine. Even so, why risk a day of painful vomiting or worse.
I once Ate a packet of biscuits made in china that had expired by 12 months. I only realized this after the methane released from the bag singed my nose hairs and the biscuit filling tasted like petrol.lechat said:
The Safety standards have only recently being perfected because of how many people used to die from that stuff. Canned food in its conception (before irradiation, switching to tin metal and changing the anti bacterial polymer coating), was a Sess pool for Botulin. Botulin is a nasty bug that doesn't need oxygen to grow, it kills babies and paralyses adult guts. It's Death in a can. The old tins were also lead based, enough said. technology has come a long way.FizzyIzze said:
Few Bacteria can grow on processed butter since they can only digest simple sugars like glucose and mannose. In America Bread doesn't grow mould unless it comes from the farmer market. That stuff isn't even food. And eating meat with green slime is is a sure way to Campylobacter induced DiarrhoeaDoPo said:
Depends on what the food is, and if it seems to be off or not.
If its seafood, its out instantly. Best to play it safe there.
If its anything else, smell, taste and look check, as well as using a guinea pig [Note: Mother] to test the food, and if its not off then eat it, if it is then throw it out.
If its seafood, its out instantly. Best to play it safe there.
If its anything else, smell, taste and look check, as well as using a guinea pig [Note: Mother] to test the food, and if its not off then eat it, if it is then throw it out.
Mold? Just cut it off. See? It's still good.
The milk hasn't expired, it's turning into yogurt.
Bugs? So what? Extra protein.
Ah, the eggs are a little old. Time to hard boil them. Easier to get the shell off that way.
Meat bad? Is it frozen? Then it's still good.
Partially joking, of course. I tend to dump the milk when it smells, and I tend to avoid moldy food and stuff with bugs in it. Egg and meat conditions work, though.
The milk hasn't expired, it's turning into yogurt.
Bugs? So what? Extra protein.
Ah, the eggs are a little old. Time to hard boil them. Easier to get the shell off that way.
Meat bad? Is it frozen? Then it's still good.
Partially joking, of course. I tend to dump the milk when it smells, and I tend to avoid moldy food and stuff with bugs in it. Egg and meat conditions work, though.
I try to keep things no more than 3 days past the expiration date. I go more by if its stale or if mold starts to form than the actual expiration date.