Use-by dates are contributing to millions of pounds of wasted food each year. Most consumers mistakenly believe that expiration dates on food indicate how safe the food is to consume,
when these dates actually aren't related to the risk of food poisoning or food borne illness.
when these dates actually aren't related to the risk of food poisoning or food borne illness.
The dates solely indicate freshness, and are used by manufacturers to convey when the product is at its peak. That means the food does not expire in the sense of becoming inedible. For un-refrigerated foods, there may be no difference in taste or quality, and expired foods won’t necessarily make people sick.
Food-borne illness comes from the contamination of food by salmonella, listeria, and other pathogens. They get on the food during production and processing. That's what leads to people being sick, not the age of the food.
Some notable examples? Well, chocolate (that is, if you keep it around long enough for it to expire) is fine to eat for a long time after you buy it. While it does develop a thin, white coating — known as the "bloom" — this is actually just fats rising to the top and crystallizing. It won't hurt you to eat it, so enjoy!
Sources:
shine.yahoo.com
time.com
wikipedia.com
refinery29.com
