Do you throw out food when it passes its expiration date? (+poll!)

[pilot-obvious]

Depends what it is! If it's super processed food that hasn't been opened, then yeah sure! As long as it's not too far past the expiration date. I do a visual and smell check just to double check. Also just like @DarJodo, the discount baked goods are my jam. Just bought a big strawberry shortcake for less than half the price because the sell by date was the same day! Delicious! Also maybe slightly controversial, but I really like the taste of milk right before it expires.

I'm a bit weary of some things immediately after the expiration date like salad, bread, and eggs.

[Iris-Grimoire]

Depends on the food. There's stuff that'll last fine if it's unopened or well stored, but I'm not going to try my luck with milk or prepared foods.

[vothnthorvaldson]

Depends of the food.
Dairy products, I sometimes don't even feel like eating them BEFORE expiry date because they don't smell right. And ultimately I won't buy them anymore after a few incidents (eg. Import cheeses cut by Sobeys. Smell rancid through the package, no thanks. They do that since years in several locations, so it's apparently 'normal' and doesn't make people sick, but no thanks).

Most dry foods, I may eat years after expiry. I ate 15 years old chickpeas for eg. No problem with that.

Properly made tin canned foods are usually fine too, although I would not advice to do it because there are quite a few precautions to take.

[Maps]

I’m sooo particular with food. I won’t eat or drink anything past expiration, but my SO does. I will also only eat leftovers one or two days after cooking. So basically I suck, but I tend to eat what I make within my weird ranges, and I usually eat all the food I buy before it expires. Unless it enters the hidden realm of the fridge and pantry...

[VibrantFox]

the only thing thats let past expiration but only for a bit is bread because you can usually turn it into something else like french toast or bread crumbs or something

crackers or chips maybe but most other things are tossed especially if it looks or smells like its gone sour

[doriantorres112]

yes because I had experience food poisoning. So I'm wary with food passing its expiration date, especially ready-made meal you can buy on the go if you're too busy to cook at home.

[Kura]

I mean, it's either eat the old food or starve. As long as it's not too far gone anyway, like black mould growing all over the place or chunky sour smelling milk.

Some stuff like cheese I just cut the mould off and it'll be good.

[Darth_Biomech]

It might be wasteful, but if it's past the date of expiration, down the garbage chute it goes if it smells or looks even slightly off. I don't want the risk of infection or poisoning by the spoiled food (In fact, I'll toss it out if it will start looking funny even before the expiration date). Some things can last well after the expiration date though, like I don't think that a bag of mostly dehydrated chips will be any different even if it is a month past its date. Not to mention things like salt or seasonings. I don't think those even can spoil, for as long as you keep them in a dry place.

[DarJodo]

It really depends on the item. With proper storage, chocolate does not really go bad. The cocoa butter may separate a bit but that is fine. On the other hand, good brown bread gets moldy very quickly.

With canned goods you have to be careful about the condition of the can. Rust could mean tiny holes in the metal, which means the inside is no longer sterile. Bulging can mean gas buildup and obvious contamination. As for the contents, slime and bad smells are clear red flags. Some bacterial toxins remain potent despite reheating, so when in doubt throw it out.

[nostalgicroxas]

Honestly, most of my food gets consumed before some "expiration date" happens. It's rare things that are the "stocks" for later that will get thrown out - some can of soup for example that expired two or three years ago. Bye, bye. Or if it's otherwise damaged - an open bag of wontons that have freezer burn - won't taste good when cooked, so again bye, bye.
I have learned that the temperature in my house dictates a lot, and so thing that a lot of people wouldn't normally put in the fridge, are. Like cooking oil for cupcakes or brownies - that specific vegetable oil - that's in the fridge. When I leave it out for long periods of time, it goes rancid.

I do keep dates in mind when buying however. I look for decent date for meat and milk. Milk will sit in my fridge at least a week as I go through the bottles, so at least one or two of those need to be "younger". Meat is a strict: [Will I eat you in the next two days? No? Don't buy.] (Bananas and other fruit fall into this category for me. If I'm not going to eat it before it goes bad, I just don't buy it.]

[Prisim]

For me it depends on 1. How far past and 2. what kind of food it is. Boxed goods I'll let go a little bit past the expiration date otherwise it does start to taste stale. Frozen goods I'll wait until I see freezer burn Refrigerated goods, especially milk products, I'm usually very hard nope when the expiration date passes.

My bread is usually the one that is well past the date because I'll buy a loaf before i run out and freeze it until I need it. So often by the time I'm ready to unfreeze the loaf it's well past its expiration date.

[Rhonder]

I'm wary of foods that pass the expiration date, but don't automatically toss something just because it has. A common example growing up was milk, for example. It's definitely perishable and the expiration date is a good indicator of around the time when it will no longer be good to drink... and other times that time comes before the date even. When the expiration date is like a few days out I'll start giving it a check sniff before pouring because I've been burned before by mindlessly pouring a cup of sour milk and it's... not pleasant Buuuut at the same time even if the date has passed by several days, as long as it still smells fine I have no qualms continuing to use it.

Less perishable food like many canned goods though can often be good wayyyyy past the expiration date lol. Some things you can tell they put one on because they're required to, but you open something that supposedly "expired" 5 years ago and... it's the same now as it was then.

I think common sense and using some judgement on what you consume is just good practice in general. If something smells or tastes spoiled then it probably is and you shouldn't continue to eat it. If it seems fine I'm not going to let the expiration date bully me into not eating it though lol.

[RamonEspinoza]

Like Gandalf said: in doubt, always follow your nose. Thats the key for me. That, or more than a month expired.

[indagold]

I haven't paid attention to an expiration date outside of milk cause that spoils faster than any other product.