Good Lifestyle

Keep it out or throw it? AllThe food you buy has a lifetime. With the exception of fresh products that are not sold in a package, virtually all food products are marked with a time of expiry time giving the consumer an idea of ​​their consumption.

However, these dates - whether designated by "use by" sell "or" better by "-goods only intended to serve as guidelines and do not actually indicate food security. Instead, they provide a general estimate regarding when a particular food is at its peak quality. This means thatBasically everything can be appreciated beyond the date you see on the package. (The baby formula is the only exclusion. He has a federally regulated expiration date and must be consumed in a given period.)

Nevertheless, as you may have guessed, the period between an expiry date of some kind and that the food goes into fact a bad varies according to the food itself and the way it is stored.

We talked to a group of food safety and dietitians experts to set up a list of foods that must not have to lose waste after their expiry date.In the light of the pandemic of Covid-19, it would be nice to know if yourpantry objects are always good food so you do not have to make another grocery trip.

Caisses Below, these distinct pros between the different forms of expiry dates, the list of specific foods particularly stable and good to have on hand and share tips on how you can say if your food has become bad.

What do the different dates of your food mean?

If you have examined the articles of your pantry or refrigerator lately, you may have noticed that some have a date of "use by" or "expiration", while others say "sell" or "Best by". "While allThese terms refer to the quality of your food as opposed to security(And are intended to serve as approximate estimates) they are always important to keep in mind that you shop for food and cook at home.

"Food manufacturers take things like ingredients of the product, the duration necessary to distribute the product and the storage temperature when determining these dates," says Sofia Norton, RD, a dietitian registered withKisk. "But none of this is regulated by the federal government."

• "Use" dates: "This date is put on the manufacturer of the power supply as the last recommended date for the use of the product during advanced quality. Once again, the food after the date" used by "will not make you sick , "saysToby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, Fand and the author ofCREATE-VOUR-PLATE COOKING BOOK. "It's a quality problem and not a food security problem."
• "Expiring dates: "The expiration date is for consumers and is the last date that the product can be considered fresh. After that, the quality goes south and it can soon be bad," says Norton. "The expiry date does not mean that the product is not sure to consume, but it can happen soon after that date. Think of them as rough guides."
• "Sell by" dates: "This date tells the store how long show the food product. You can always eat the food after the date" sell "has been adopted; however, the quality of the article (such as freshness, taste and coherence ) Can not be as good as before this date, says Amidor. "If you eat food after the date" sell ", the nutritional quality of food can also be diminished (especially after a few months or even years). If you eat the food after the date "sell", you will not get sick. This is not an indicator of food security. "
• "Best by" dates: "This date, again, refers to quality, not security, food," says Amidor. "The date is recommended by the food manufacturer for the best flavor and the best quality."

One important thing to keep in mind is that each of these dates applies to the elements that have been stored correctly. "Remember that if a food product was / is not properly managed, even before the marked dates, it can still have a chance to be contaminated," says Amanda A. Kostro Miller, Rd, LDN, who serves on the advisory board forFitter Living.

"For example, if you do not refrigerate the milk correctly within two hours of getting it at the store, even the coolest milk may go wrong and be dangerous to consume. It is important that we are stored, cook, serve and put Food safely to avoid contamination and foodborne disease. "

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The types of foods more or less likely to go wrong after their expiration date

When it comes to consuming food after its "better by", "" sell by "or another date, there is really no difficult rule to follow.

However, some general factors are important to note. "The main question you should ask you when determining the shelf life of a food product is the sensitivity to bacterial growth. In general, bacteria need three things to grow: food, moisture and heat, "says Janilyn Hutchings, a professional certified food security toFood safety of the state. "When a food product has a high number of carbohydrates or protein and contains moisture, it is more vulnerable to bacterial growth."

She says, "That means dairy, eggs, cooked grains, cut green, fruits and other vegetables, many open condiments, meat and poultry, and fish are all more likely to bacterial growth that other types of food. We call these kinds. We call these kinds. Perishable foods of food. ""

Uncooked grains, on the other hand, do not generally contain enough moisture to be considered perishable, while canned foods are sealed to maintain bacteria.

"Refrigerator temperatures do not completely prevent bacteria from growing up, they simply slow down. In general, perishable food will survive in your refrigerator for about seven days," said Hutchings. "Open condiments are an exception to the rule because they are generally more acidic."

The freezer, the huchure notes, is a slightly different story. "Freezer temperatures stop the bacteria of culture and food stored in the freezer are technically safe to eat indefinitely," she says. "The biggest question about the overelle food is not if it is safe, but if it still tastes. The more frozen food remains, the more its quality tends to go down."

What foods that are still good after their expiry date?

You will find below a list of specific foods that you can do stocks that will remain edible well after their "sale by" dates.

"Like most feed, eggs are perishable, which means they can go badly quickly," says Norton. "With correct manipulation, you can extend their shelf life of a few days. Keep in the refrigerator at 40 degrees F, they can be careful to consume for four to five weeks after packaging."

"Bread can last about five to seven days after its expiry date," says Megan Wong, RD, an authorized dietary working withAlgae. "But be on the lookout for mold, especially if it is kept in a wet environment. It is best to store bread in a cool and dry place. And if you want to expand its lifetime, store the bread in the freezer And it will stay for three to six months. It will lose freshness and flavor of course, but it will be sure to eat. "

"Canned foodis among the least perishable there. Canned corn, for example, often has the best amount of three to five years old slapped on the label. But you can eat it even years after that, "says Norton." Canned kills microorganisms that cause food to be spoiled in the first place. In addition, canned foods are sealed in vacuo, which means That there is no oxygen to brown the food and degrade. "

Other unopened canning that made the cup? Beans, fruits, mushrooms, pasta sauce, chicken and chili, depending on the hutchures. "The more the food has expired, the more his flavor will probably be affected, but it should always be safe," she says.

Like pasta, these processed foods do not contain much, if any, that contributes to their stability, hutchures emphasize. The same goes for dried fruits, crackers and chips.

This includes elements such as white flour, soda bicarbonate, salt, cooking powder and sugar. "As there is no moisture in dry ingredients, they are less sensitive to bacterial growth in general," says Hutchings. "Salt in particular is never really bad because it can not afford to support bacterial growth and it is often used as a condom because it is really good to prevent this growth. Do not eat dry ingredient that has a smell or unnatural signs of an outbreak infestation. "

Hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, are another safe bet, even if they start showing signs of aging over time. "Once these beyond their best date, they can start forming a white or blue-green mold on the surface. Just scratch these mussels or even cut the affected parts and your hard cheese is again Safe to consume, "says" Norton. "Hard cheeses have a low moisture content, making bacteria growth more difficult as most bacteria prefer wet environments."

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"Dairy milk can last until a week after expiry date," says Wong. "If you are not sure, give him a puff to see if she went sour."

Although most nuts are stable enough because they lack moisture abundance, hutchures notes that satisfied foods are generally high in bold, which means that they may need a small additional inspection if they Have been caught up in your pantry for a prolonged period for a long time. beyond the sale by date. "Do not eat dry-processed foods that have a smell of grass or paint, a dark or oily appearance, or water damage to packaging," she says.

"The pasta is a dry product, which is why it does not spoil easily. The same goes for whole grain pasta, because the drought discharges the renciduous," says Norton. "That's why you can use it safely after its due date, but quality can suffer." By hutchures, the same goes for uncooked rice, as well as oats and uncooked oats.

This includes foods such as beets, carrots and parsnies. "Many root crops can last several weeks with little effect on their taste," saysJennifer Kaplan, an instructor at the Culinary Institute of America. "In general, the cooler food and the water content and the oil it contains, the more it will spown faster. It is because moisture generates microorganisms and oils contain fats that oxidize when exposed to heat, light and air that can lead to a raneity. "

Although yogurt, which is typically based on dairy, is often not considered a particularly stable food, but also a lifetime beyond its expiry date. According to Norton, unopened yogurt is safe to eat up to three weeks after its expiry date. "Yogurt is made by introducing probiotics and lactic acid bacteria, which help keep bad bacteria at the bay," she says. "You may notice that your yogurt has a lactoseum that is separated from the curd - it's normal and nothing to fear."

Honey is one offood that never go wrong. It has such a shelf life because it is a form of low humidity sugar, which prevents the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that generally make food sick can not prosper in this drying an environment. In addition, honey is acidic. High acidity means that it will kill all other bacteria trying to survive in honey. Thus, as long as your honey is properly sealed and stored in a dry place, it should last forever.

Like honey, Marinara sauce is extremely acidic. This acidity helps protect the tomato sauce from the accommodation treat bacteria. This extends the length of your marinara sauce for months after its expiry date and even for weeks after opening a pot.

How do you know if the food has become bad?

As we have established, most foods can be safely consumed for various periods of time after their sales dates, however, that does not mean that the majority of food will not become bad.

"If in doubt, use your views of sight, feel and feel to check if the food has become bad. If it feels, feels and looks, and look, chances are it's like" , says Norton. "For example, spoiled milk will have a unpleasantly acidic or even putrid odor. The meat that has a pungent smell and ammonia type, which develops a green hue and is skinny is also bad. "

"Look for discoloration in fruits and vegetables or ifthey form mold," she says.

Canned goods are usually better than most things, there are still things that consumers should look for. "Do not eat food if the box can be bossed or curved, if the lid or seal is broken, if there are dried food streaks from the top of the box / pot, or if the contents of the Box / JAR is a non-natural color, unusual smell, contain a sparkling liquid or cotton (might be white, black, blue or green) on top of the food surface and bottom of the lid, " explains caps.

"Food tends to display very apparent signs of deterioration: mildew, nauseating odor, discoloration and literal ventilation of structural integrity," saysDevon Golem PhD, Rd. "A better practice is to mark the opening date of any product, and then designate FDA information such as theFoodapplication to decide whether or not to delete a food product. Food waste due to the ambiguous labeling date is a big problem in the efforts of the United States. Efforts are being made to reduce these food waste, but until then, consumers must use their best judgment and tools available. "