Between two shopping trips, many French cupboards hide a forgotten packet of pasta, an opened packet of rice or a yogurt whose date has passed for weeks. For fear of poisoning, these products often go in the trash even though they would still be edible. Each year, around 7 kilos of still-packaged food are thrown away per person, and up to 10% of food waste is linked to poor understanding of use-by dates. Behind these figures, the same question arises: what are the foods that can be eaten after the expiration date without taking unnecessary risks.
On the packaging, two words coexist. There expiration dateintroduced by the “Consume by” formula, concerns very perishable products such as raw meat, fresh fish or certain refrigerated ready meals: beyond that, the bacterial risk becomes real. There
minimum durability dateassociated with “Best before”, mainly targets dry, sterilized or frozen products. Once this date has passed, they may lose some taste or texture, but are generally safe if the package is intact and well stored. It is in this second category that we find most of the foods that we wrongly throw away, even though their actual condition is often much more important than the printed date.
Expired dry foods: pasta, rice, flour, chocolate and coffee often remain edible
Dry foods in the cupboard are the first that can be consumed after their expiration date. Pasta, rice, semolina, lentils, chickpeas or quinoa contain very little water, which slows down the proliferation of bacteria and mold. “Dried pasta is safe past its expiration date because it doesn’t contain much water, making it more difficult for bacteria, mold, and yeast to grow.“, explains Dr. Cynthia Odogwu, quoted by the American media Real Simple. In practice, pasta or rice stored well in a dry place, in an airtight container, without suspicious odors or traces of insects, can be consumed up to about a year after the minimum durability date, even if it requires a little more cooking time and offers a slightly different texture.
In the same family, flour, starch, breakfast cereals and even ground coffee are very stable products. As long as they remain dry, protected from heat and tightly closed, they remain safe for several months, even years, after the indicated date, even if the aroma of your coffee or the crispness of the cereals may fade. Chocolate is one of the most striking examples: it is generally consumed up to two years after its minimum durability date. The thin white film that may appear on the surface does not correspond to toxic mold, but to a migration of fats which mainly modifies the appearance and taste. Biscuits and dry cakes follow the same logic, especially with a risk of loss of crunchiness.
Expired dairy products and eggs: when the expiration date remains flexible
Certain dairy products also tolerate a slight expiration of the date, starting with unopened UHT milk and cream. Heated to very high temperature then packaged in sterile packaging, they are designed to remain stable for a long time as long as the brick is neither swollen nor damaged. Several storage guides indicate that closed UHT milk can be drunk up to approximately two months after its best before date, provided it has been stored in a cool, dry place. Once opened, on the other hand, it must be placed in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days, monitoring the smell and the possible appearance of lumps which signal that it is time to throw it away.
Yogurts, especially natural, are among the foods with a use-by date that can remain edible beyond the expiry date. Rich in non-pathogenic lactic acid bacteria and kept well refrigerated, they can still be consumed several days, even several weeks after the date, as long as the cover is not bulging and no sour odor emanates from it. Soft or blue cheeses continue to ripen in the refrigerator and also tolerate a past date, while hard cheeses can be consumed after largely removing the moldy part on the surface, if the core remains healthy. Eggs have a recommended consumption date set at 28 days after laying; they remain edible for a few more weeks if the shell is intact and they sink to the bottom of a glass of water, but it is better to avoid this practice for pregnant women, the elderly or immunocompromised people.
Honey, canned goods, frozen foods and condiments: other expired foods to keep rather than throw away
Some products seem almost immortal. Honey, sugar, salt or spices will keep virtually indefinitely when protected from moisture in a tightly closed container. Even after years, they do not become toxic; At worst, the honey crystallizes, the sugar grains clump together or the spices lose some of their fragrance. On the cupboard side, very sweet jams, mustard, ketchup or industrial mayonnaise also benefit from the presence of sugar, salt or acids which strongly slow down microbial development. Unopened, these condiments can often be consumed several months after the date, then a few more months once placed in a cool place after opening, as long as no mold appears and the taste does not seem to be slightly altered.
Sterilized foods such as cans are also among the champions of long shelf life. “The canning process prevents microbial growth, making canned beans, vegetables and soups safe to consume well past the expiration date. As long as the can appears intact with no rust, swelling or deep dents, you can safely use these foods for up to four years past the date, but highly acidic foods like tomatoes and fruit should be eaten sooner“, explains doctor Heather Gosnell, in Real Simple.
In France too, the recommendations converge: a can whose can is neither pierced nor curved remains edible several years after the date, just like many frozen products, for which the cold blocks the growth of bacteria if the cold chain has been respected. On the other hand, raw meats, fresh fish and refrigerated ready-made meals marked “Consume by” remain to be considered as separate cases, for which you are asked to strictly respect the date, and to rely on your doctor in the event of symptoms after a suspicious meal.