Food Expiration Dates Don't Have Much Science Behind Them

[Just AnotherPerson]

Depending on the ingredients, I would toss likely. I have in the past.

It's the smart thing to do.

[RMNIXON]

I am careful about perishable items, frozen not so much. But I also know these dates simply mean how long a manufacturing will claim a product is at it's best and safe to eat. It does not mean something goes bad right after.

Also a good idea to keep opened items at the top of the refrigerator where it is coldest and also use the smell test if ever in doubt.

[Dr. Who]

I usually look online to see how good an item is past its expiration or best used by date. Often the item is still good. My one issue is that I make soups and there have been a few times where it was too hot to put in the fridge and I would forget and not put it in the fridge before going to sleep. They still smelled perfectly fine the next morning, but out of caution I reluctantly toss it.

If they were covered overnight, they were probably OK. Heat back to boiling and then taste them. Boiling would kill anything that could make you sick.

[carolina73]

I am careful about perishable items, frozen not so much. But I also know these dates simply mean how long a manufacturing will claim a product is at it's best and safe to eat. It does not mean something goes bad right after.

Also a good idea to keep opened items at the top of the refrigerator where it is coldest and also use the smell test if ever in doubt.

And the animals. The dog won;t eat something that I am still eating and the cat let's me know when the half&half is going.

[Dr. Who]

I buy for 7 days. I have gotten into the habit of using the last of the fresh veggies on Thr/Fri (toss into red beans and rice) and restocking Saturdays. I usually eat up my chicken for the week by Wed. (bought on Sat.) So I don't freeze it, even though the claim is that the chicken only last two days in the fridge.

How long chicken or any meat lasts in the fridge, often depends on when it was packaged and whether it was kept really cold before you bought it. I've purchased chickens that were already spoiled when I got them home. Some of those open meat cases are not cold enough. I try to use raw chicken and ground meat within a couple of days or else they go in the freezer. You can apparently make raw chicken last longer in the fridge if you wash it repeatedly. I use the smell test to determine if it's safe to eat.

[Standing Wolf]

They are pickled. If stored properly they would likely last longer than 8 years.

Well NOW you tell me.

[Chuck]

I love how they say you can leave the turkey out for a maximum of 2 hours after cooking it and dropping to 140 degrees. Basically they are saying to serve it quick and throw it away.

In my college days I would eat a hamburger that I found between the cushions if it smelled and looked okay. I made it so far.

My experience with turkey is it starts turning green almost immediately in the middle, so I don't buy turkey at all; seems like they sell when it has already been spoiling.

[Peter1469]

My experience with turkey is it starts turning green almost immediately in the middle, so I don't buy turkey at all; seems like they sell when it has already been spoiling.

Well, that's nasty.

[Dr. Who]

My experience with turkey is it starts turning green almost immediately in the middle, so I don't buy turkey at all; seems like they sell when it has already been spoiling.

You need to take turkey off the carcass for storage and it needs to be well cooked to begin with. If it's changing colors in the center, it was never cooked all the way through.

[Mister D]

Green? Good Lord...