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We've all been there: You open the fridge, reach for the milk, and notice the date on the carton says it expired yesterday. You gingerly sniff the carton, fully expecting to be overwhelmed by noxious fumes but instead all you can smell is . . . milk.
According to University of Minnesota food scientist Ted Labuza (who spoke to Slate), perishables like milk and meat have a three- to seven-day grace period after the expiration date, assuming you are a normal person and store said perishables in the fridge and not, say, the sauna. The fact is, the "sell by" date that appears on that questionable gallon of milk serves as a guideline for stores on when they should pull products from their shelves -- not when you should indulge in a last sip. Rather than being an indicator of the product's safety span, the date implies when a food's quality -- its taste, aroma and appearance -- would be at peak conditions.
What's even more confusing is the lack of consistency in "open dating" descriptors and regulations on labeling. In addition to "sell by," certain products contain "best if used by (or before)," to indicate peak quality, "use by," to establish a finite don't-ingest-after-this-date or simply the jumble of numbers that is a "closed date," for those long-living shelved goods.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration requires that an expiration date appear on only infant formula, which must contain the quantity of nutrients described on its label. Milk -- so widely known for its spoiling -- is not uniformly regulated, but is handled on a state by state basis. Manufacturers perform stress tests on milk to determine an expiration date, ranging from 15 to 21 days post-pasteurization. Only certain states, indicated in the chart below, mandate a specific "sell by" date, with a handful falling short of that 15-day manufacturer-determined minimum.
New York City is notoriously the only city which contains its own regulation on milk dating; there are no requirements for the state at large. The debate rages as to whether this separate date is due to longer unloading times during delivery or improper store storage temperatures. But if you've ever tried to move into an apartment building in Manhattan at 4:30pm on a weekday like one of our Slashfood writers, you'd probably guess it's the former.
With all this talk about milk, you're probably wondering how to factor in expiration dates on all those other perishable foods you buy? Pay close attention to meat, which should be cooked or frozen within two days of purchase. If you freeze that ground beef or rack of lamb, be sure to cook them within 3 months or 12 months, respectively. Cold cuts, which can contain an organism called listeria, should be consumed by their use by dates.
Other foods offer some more wiggle room, though. You'll get a few weeks out of hard cheeses -- which is good to know, considering how stinky they can be outright. Interestingly, the United States Department of Agriculture found that eggs refrigerated at an optimal 27 degrees are safe for up to four to five weeks past their expiration. As you'd expect, you'll have the most leeway with dry goods. Pasta and rice is fine for a year. Unopened packages of cookies are good for a few months (though we wonder who has packets of cookies that sit around unopened for months?) and canned goods are safe for at least five years: perfect if there's a major catastrophe that keeps you housebound for . . . years. But beware of cans that are dented or rusted, as rust signifies tiny pin holes that can provide an entrance point for bacteria.
In the end, the best "use by" detector is planted firmly in the middle of your face. If it smells suspicious, it's best to chuck it; if it smells okay then it's usually fine.
Provided by the International Dairy Foods Association, Code Date Requirements by State for Fluid Milk:
|
State |
Regulation regarding code date |
|
CA |
Processor determines a sell date. |
|
CT |
Must be pulled 12 days past pasteurization. The term "sell by" is strongly encouraged. |
|
FL |
Shelf life cannot exceed 10 days from the date it was packaged, unless the processor meets additional requirements that extend the allowance to 12. |
|
GA |
Processor provided test data that determines a mandatory Sell By Date for retail establishments. |
|
HI |
Processor determines a code date, which is evaluated by a director. |
|
MD |
Shelf life cannot exceed 7 days from the date it was packaged, unless the processor meets additional requirements that extend the allowance to 12. |
|
MI |
A testing program conducted by the processor and the state of MI determines the pull date. |
|
MT |
Must be pulled 12 days past pasteurization. Exemptions include grade A raw milk, if sold directly to the consumer, and ultra-pasteurized products. |
|
NC |
Processors select an expiration date, after which the product will not be sold. |
|
NH |
A code date is used to identify when the product was manufactured. |
|
NJ |
Shelf-life expiration date is set by the processor based on bacteriologic and organoleptic evaluation, which is reviewed by the State Department. |
|
NM |
Products must be pulled 15 days past pasteurization. |
|
NV |
A required code date indicates last date of sale of the product. |
|
NY |
|
|
PA |
Products must be pulled 14 days past pasteurization. |
|
VA |
Processor establishes a pull date that is certified by a regulatory authority, after which the milk would continue to meet regulatory conditions for a minimum of 96 hours after sale |
|
WA |
Products feature a pull date that allows the consumer time for normal home consumption or use. |
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2-19-2010 @5:25PM Tina said... Ok...and who did NOT know this already?
Reply
2-19-2010 @8:41PM wreckonice said... Absolutely, there is nothing 2 talk about here. It is obvious to use your nose and if you smell spoilage, sour, fishy, etc. then you know. I really think this should be taught in kindergarten bcuz so many people can't read or don't read or are foreigners and unable to understand. Have U noticed that everything now has cautions, warnings, special handling for chicken, fish, etc. It is bcuz people are apt to sue if they get sick. Life is getting stranger and sillier that the obvious bcomes the norm.
3-01-2010 @6:36AM dugandob said... I'm guessing who ever wrote this had a hard time coming up with their weekly column. They just glanced at the milk carton and decided that expiration dates were an important topic for that day. In other word this person was so LAZY they got their inspiration while eating a bowl of cereal.
3-01-2010 @8:15AM danita said... my daughter also learned in high school science that if you put a pinch of salt in milk it
will last longer an you can not tell its in there at first i did not beleive this till i tryed it
it works
3-01-2010 @11:31AM rob said... well 99% of the people smell spoilage. It's because after you pour the milk some of it gets left on the rim where it goes bad and when you put your nose to it that's what you smell. Best option is to pour the milk in a glass then smell it. Also every time milk is brought out of the fridge its shelf life is lessened and once it is opened its shelf life is lessened. In reality since the milk is pulled out of the fridge several times and left on your table while eating cereal or breakfast you have about 7 days to consume. It's kind of like the gas mileage for cars. They all have high numbers of miles per gallon but none of that is from normal driving conditions which make your mpg a lot less. Also since this writing tends to make people believe that you can ingest food well beyond its expiration date I will mention the pancake batter slowly turns into a deadly poison after its expiration date. Also canned goods have an expiration date well before their claimed 5 years because there is a coating on the inner wall that protects the food from the surrounding metal can. That barrier which is most times a small form of wax breaks down and that releases the chemicals from the can that mixes in with the food and can cause you to be severely sick and in some cases death.
3-01-2010 @11:55AM rob said... I'm going to tell all of you like I tell my customers.
The use by date is like the gas light in your car. Sure you can drive after it comes on or consume after the date. But why risk running out of gas or getting sick
3-01-2010 @12:44PM Digi said... Yeah SlashFoods bloggers have been rather ...stale as of late. Earlier last week they were even falsly labeling article links. My fav one was "Mushers get bad food for race". SO That inplied rotten, spoiled etc. Article was about a musher taking tamales. I guess the writer didnt like them.
@Rob, well I have one major reason why. Money. If you hadnt noticed we're in a recession. Meaning every dollar counts. Garbaged food means wasted money. So if something isnt bad, no one in their mind is gona garbage it. Sometimes that date means jack squat, other times its even wrong. Ive had things spoil before the date.
3-01-2010 @2:01PM JB said... well none of you live in the west or at least so cali. if it is near the date it is probably bad. So much for the "best by" thing. I have milk go bad 1 - 2 days before the date all the time.
3-01-2010 @2:33PM cathie said... I can not tell you how much canned food my sister has thrown out of my pantry when I am in other room because she freaks out if it is past the sell be date. Now I don't turn my back on her if she is in my house. Tired of her trying to help me! Anyway, besides looking for poped top or dented can way after expiration date is I have one more additional rule for measuring safety and freshness is "When in doubt, toss it out". And if I find I haven't time to make that hot dish or whatever and my chicken, hamburger or whatever is already thawed out and in my frig for 2 days, I just cook it up then throw it back into the freezer until I am ready to do something with it.
3-01-2010 @7:28PM Al Schrader said... Well, I've actually taken the Safe Staff Food Safety course & have my ID card. This is the real deal:
To start with, make sure your fridge is 41 degrees F or colder. I suggest 36 degrees. Buy & use a fridge thermometer.
Never use anything with an expired date. Look at the product when you buy it. If the date expires in two days, don't buy it unless you plan to consume it all that day. Further, never put frozen meats etc. onto your countertop to defrost. Always defrost inside your fridge. Why ? Because some parts of the food may come to room temperature before all of it is defrosted. Never store cooked foods with raw foods in your fridge, especially not poultry products.When you buy frozen foods, check for ice crystals which means the food has thawed, definitely dumpster fodder at that point....Email me if you have food safety questions,....alfredschrader@aol.com
2-19-2010 @7:10PM Eva said... My old roommate. She chugs everything. She believes it is bad as soon as it hits that date. I have no idea why she thinks that considering it was perfectly fine the day before.
Reply
3-01-2010 @10:11AM KatyChocolate said... Lol, I agree. It's like when the clock reaches midnight, the carton of milk all of a sudden comes under a horrible spell, it goes green and bubbly... it is filled with malice and poison.
The wasteful people must quickly battle against it, so they throw it in the bin. And they all lived happily ever after. Except for the people who now have to buy more milk (and pay good money which everyone needs in this financial climate) when the previous carton was perfectly safe, and the milk who was abandoned in the bin for no good reason.
2-20-2010 @3:51AM Noadi said... Last I checked very few foods come with a "use by" date. they come with a "sell by" date (I have started seeing meat labeled with "use or freeze by" date but in one local store). The implication here is that they need to be sold a reasonable use time before going bad. I thought this was well known but apparently not.
Reply
3-01-2010 @10:25AM NickP said... LOL! You must have been looking at walmart stuff where the meat is spray painted and the produce comes pre-spolied.
2-22-2010 @11:32AM Chellie said... Generally speaking, around my part of Oklahoma, within a couple days of the expiration date, the milk I buy from Walmart has already started turning sour. I always look for dates that are the furthest away from the date I buy for that reason. Walmart has some issues but unfortunately, the cheapest prices. (except for the commissary, but I'm not military dependent so I can't shop there)
Reply
3-01-2010 @8:50AM Kathi said... Well, if it's the Chandler Wal-Mart, I believe it's because they turn their thermostats down at night. The milk never feels cold in the carton when you pick it up, and if you ever walk past the meat section, you'll see bulging packages of chicken with condensation on the inside. Gross!
3-01-2010 @2:20PM Frances said... Braums milk is th best in Oklahoma...yes is cheaper in the commisary and maybe Crest...but more quality and taste at Braum's
2-22-2010 @8:03PM dragonet2 said... Yes, using common sense is a Good Thing. If it looks odd, smells bad, etc. pitch it. And with canned goods, if it looks suspicious, for the love of all that is good and right, DO NOT TASTE IT. Unless you wish to die the king/queen of Botulism.
Though I just did a pantry cleanout of a house that had canned goods that were over 10 years old (clue: no date but Safeway brand, I know they didn't travel AND that brand went out, maybe even longer ago that that here in KC but I try not to think how long ago...)
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2-22-2010 @11:48AM Food Fanatic said... Everyone should go check out http://shelflifeadvice.com - it's an awesome food reference website with instructive guidance, tips and articles on food safety, properly storing foods and detecting spoilage. It also has numerous tables of expiration information for hundreds of foods commonly found in your pantry, fridge and freezer!
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3-02-2010 @2:43PM Ross Fuller said... Wow! http://shelflifeadvice.com is an awesome site! I learned so much just from the hour that I went on it. Who woulda known that the 5 second rule is actually false!?!?! You can drop the food (on a somewhat clean surface) for about 30 seconds and it's still ok! Awesome information on this site and I can already see the dollar signs coming my way from all of the food that I can save now instead of just toss away because the expiration date is past. Thanks Food Fanatic!