10 foods you can eat past the expiration date
The dates we find printed on products are the manufacturer's suggestion for when the food is at its freshest, not when it is unsafe. And the sell-by date can be confusing, leading people to throw out the food well before it has gone bad.
Meat
If you freeze it, it will give the meat around a 50% longer shelf life.
Canned goods
Keep the cans in a cool, dark area to extend — and in some instances, double — the shelf life.
Eggs
Try a float test for the eggs. If you put an egg in a bowl of water and it floats, it means gases have built up in the shell, and it's not safe to eat. If it sinks, you're good to go.
Pasta
Since it's a dry, hard product, it won't spoil easily. You can use it past the expiration date, just make sure it doesn't smell funny.
Bread
Bread will keep in the freezer past the expiration date as long as you don't spot any mold.
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Use common sense with fruits and vegetables. Check if it's mushy, moldy or has an "off" smell.
Frozen food
These products will keep long after the expiration date, but if we're talking meat, the expiration period will usually only extend by 50 percent.
Packaged greens
It's OK to eat the lettuce if it's wilting, just not decaying.
Dry goods (crackers, corn chips)
Check if the chips or crackers are stale. You can try crisping them in the toaster oven. But if they smell odd, throw them away.
Milk
It will store longer at a lower temperature. Try storing at the back of the fridge rather than the fridge door.