It’s Passed the Expiry Date... Can I Still Eat It?

By Julia Naughton ; Additional reporting by Lucy Willy

Fact: all food with a shelf life of less than two years has to be date stamped. But what’s the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’? And could you die if you eat something that is out of date? Drama aside, here’s everything you should know before downing those year-old Lays you bought from the supermarket, according to health insiders.

Best Before vs. Use by
Who knew there was a difference?! Put simply, a ‘best before’ stamp relates to the quality of the food, while ‘use by’ relates to the product’s safety. Canned foods, biscuits, cereal are some foods that use the ‘best before’ stamp while the ‘use by’ stamping is usually seen on meat and dairy.

If It’s Expired
MEAT
Don’t go there! Meat could harbour harmful bacteria such as Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Clostridium at high levels after its use-by date, which causes food poisoning. And these food poisoning organisms won’t change the smell of the food, so the sniff test won’t work here. So unless you want to be vomitting, headachy or in the toilet, stay clear.
DAIRY
Milk is generally fine a couple of days after the expiry date, as long as you’ve put it into the fridge straight after purchase. Always put it to a sniff test if you’re unsure, and if it smells okay (not sour) you’re good to go. The same applies with yoghurt, but if it’s curdling or has a puddle of liquid on top, best to chuck it. As for cheese, if it’s soft, throw it out as it could harbour bacteria.
EGGS
If they’re refrigerated, you can get away with a few days past the best-before date, particularly if you’re going to use them in cakes or hard-boil them for salads. But skip scrambled, fried and soft-boiled just to be safe.
CANNED FOOD
Canned foods don’t usually harbour bacteria, so you can push the boundaries a fair bit here. As long as the can is intact (not rusted, not leaking, no gas trapped inside) and has been stored at room temperature in a dark spot, you can tuck in months after the best-before date. The texture and taste may not be that great, though.

Freeze and re-freeze
Most bread, butter and cheese can be frozen for three months, while fresh meat can last up to six months in the freezer. If you’ve frozen your leftovers, they’ll only be good for three months. Also, 
never re-freeze food that has already been thawed before.