Throwing Away Expired Edible Items

[jonnyws]

Especially with medical items i always keep them. My father practices medican and he’d kill me if I threw something, there’s no such thing as a use by date if it’s in a sealed container.

 

[TraderTif]

I throw everything away when it’s expried. But, I have a ton of medical conditions that make me sensitive to foods in general, and expired foods in particular.

I didn’t even realize this, until my mother got sick and I started doing all the cooking. I had far fewer stomach symptoms, and I couldn’t figure out why, until I finally realized that I was not using any expired foods. When my mother started cooking again, we tried various things, until we realized that I seem to be especially sensitive to most (not all) foods past their dates. (go figure)

On the upside, I’ve been trying to talk them into starting a compost pile, so even the *moldy *bread doesn’t have to go in the garbage.
Tif =8-)

 

[Teakafrog]

I eat it, unless it’s become a host to new life form. If it’s pink, green, or fuzzy and didn’t start out that way, it goes in the trash. Otherwise, I figure what doesn’t kill ya only makes you stronger!

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

Many of the “expiration” dates on food items are “sell by” dates. If the date is past, and the item has not been opened, I’d consider it safe. If it’s opened, a sniff and a taste (if the sniff test is passed) will tell you if it’s OK.

And where I live, the local store puts those very items at deep discount.

 

[LilyM]

And where I live, the local store puts those very items at deep discount.

I’m more with the one who said they’re careful about certain products - meat, eggs, or dairy. Bread I’ll eat until it shows signs of mould. Fresh fruit and vegetables I deliberately buy only small quantities of so that they don’t spoil - unlike canned and frozen, which I have a good stock of at all times.

 

[puzzleannie]

when it comes to packaged foods the date is actually a sell by date, and depending on what it is, should still be good for a week or so it the package has not been opened. salad and fresh veggies only last a day or 2 past the date, dairy about a week, vacuum packed deli meat or cheese about a week. If the pack has already been opened I will pitch after the exp date.

meds can lose their effectiveness. If not opened I would still use it up to 3-6 months, if opened, I would pitch it at expiration date.

 

[slackernerd]

I am wondering if it is okay to throw away edible items that have past their expiration date? What if they have no tell tale signs of being bad such as bad smell, sight, taste? To be cautious, my husband likes me to toss things when their expiration dates have past. This includes foods, beverages, medicines, and anything else taken internally. I feel wasteful sometimes, but do it anyways. What do you do in your family? Thanks!

I would be super cautious with meat. My roommate ate a piece of sausage pizza that had been in the fridge for a week(of course he didn’t bother to even microwave it) and he had to go to the ER.

Also, most meds just lose effectiveness but expired tetracycline can decay into a dangerous toxin with kidney damage potential.

drugs.com/tetracycline.html

 

[rayne89]

I voted to throw out everything past it’s expiration date (not necessarily the “best before” date, which is different).

Here’s why: not every harmful effect from eating something ‘old’ shows up in ways that you can feel or see.

You may be harming your body and not even know it and that especially applies to any kind of medicine or supplement which should most definitely go after the date on the label.

The best ways to avoid having to throw things out are to: buy wisely, use in a timely manner and share/give away things before they become outdated.

The worst way is to possibly harm your body trying not to be wasteful.

Actually there was a report a couple years back that said most medicines are perfectly fine well past the expiration dates.

 

[rayne89]

If meat expires it gets pitched unless it was frozen.Than it gets pitches if still there a year later, mainly because the flavor goes bad. Other things -depends. Whole milk usually tastes sour by the expiration date most of the time, sometimes you can get away a day or two after. Skim milk is usually still good for a few days after expiration. Eggs -at least a month. Sour cream if pass the look, sniff test I’d give it an extra week. Mayo, dressing a couple weeks or more -if unopened longer. Cheese -check for mold. Bread, gets look, sniff test -I can smell when bread is going bad. Peanut butter you have to be careful with -I read somewhere it become toxic same with pancake mix -that gets pitched within a couple weeks of expiration. Other dry goods depends -but I’d give a least 6 months. Canned goods - same, about 6 months. I start tasting metal it goes longer.
My parents eat (especially my dad) stuff way past expiration all the time. Never have any of us become sick.

 

[jmcrae]

My niece ate something that was past its expiration date, and we spent almost her whole holiday in the hospital with her.

I say, if it’s expired, throw it away, because although you may be immune, or willing to risk your own health, you never know when someone you love might eat something out of your fridge.

 

[seekerz]

Actually there was a report a couple years back that said most medicines are perfectly fine well past the expiration dates.

Which ones, how long past expiration dates and in what conditions (temperature, humidity etc.)? Remember these are generally chemical substances.

You could be harming your kidneys or liver and never have a clue.

 

[Zooey]

Does SOUR cream really need an expiration date???

No, it doesn’t!! Sniff it, check it for mold, & if it smells OK, & has no penicillin growing on it, its OK.
Most things I am careful about, but that’s ridiculous.
I also eat eggs as long as they don’t float to the top when you drop them in a glass of water. (As eggs age, the shell becomes more porous. As the air works its way into the egg, it begins to spoil faster. A floating egg is definitively rotten: no need to look, just toss it. An egg that bounces a little is on the way out, & its up to your best judgement whether to try it. I toss 'em).
I grew up in an age with no expiration dates. Back then, we tried everything, & then used it if it smelled.& tasted OK. Its a wonder any of us lived…

 

[SeekerJen]

It depends what it is. I figure that cheese and bread are fine as long as they’re not moldy, and milk is fine as long as it’s not sour. I’ve kept bread in my fridge for a couple of weeks past the date, and although it got a bit stale and needed to be toasted, it didn’t mold. Condiments: depends on the type. I don’t think mustard and ketchup would go bad very easily, but mayo and salad dressings are a different story. I don’t like to keep those around for too long.

Meds and vitamins: fine for several months, but after that I start wondering about chemical breakdowns. I’m guessing they probably wouldn’t be harmful, but might be less effective, so it would probably be worth our while to purchase fresh stocks. Dry and canned foods in the pantry: if the cans aren’t swollen and the dry goods aren’t stale, don’t have bugs, or haven’t gotten moisture in them, then they’re fair game.

Things like meats: if they’re frozen and still look and smell fine once they’re thawed, no problem. Eggs: I usually won’t go past a couple of weeks. Yogurt: that stuff gets chucked as soon as it gets past the date. I know it’s probably fine for a couple of weeks afterward, but I know someone who developed terrible food poisoning from eating yogurt that had expired.

 

[Michael038]

if it expires its gone in our house.

 

[JennBob]

I’ve got teenaged boys in my house-nothing ever has a chance of going past its expiration date!
I do not mess with meat or cheese that has gone bad-it is not worth it. Hubby and I were both in the restaurant business so we are cautious about leaving food out past 2 hours.food poisoning is not something we want to mess with with kids

 

[Convert_in_99]

I’ve got teenaged boys in my house-nothing ever has a chance of going past its expiration date!

This is SO funny and SO true! Teenage boys and husbands can make for GREAT human garbage disposals!

 

[mamacita]

I most definitely look at the expiration date especially since I am pregnant and get kinda paranoid about getting food poisoning!!! Yuck!